The Outcast
by TFaTFreak207
Summary: Arletta, formerly known as Letty, now resides in Manhattan, NY with her three children and lawyer husband. Her older daughter, Rylan, struggles with high school hell, protecting her family, and achieving her dreams.
1. The Family

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from The Fast and the Furious, or anything affiliated with the movie. This is for my entertainment purposes only.**

**Title: **The Outcast

**Author: **Tfatfreak207 (Kita)

**Rating: **M

**Summary: **Letty is now residing in Manhattan, NY with her husband and three children. Letty's seventeen year old daughter, Rylan Tyler is a misfit at the local high school. She has everything she could ever want; money, clothes, jewelry. But it still doesn't help, she just doesn't fit in. Because of her bad attitude and poor behavior, she's forced out of state. What happens when Letty finds her way back to Dom's turf?

**Feedback: **PLEASE!!

_**Chapter One**_

Rylan slowly walked into the cafeteria, the smell of burgers immediately attacking her nostrils. As quickly as she could, Rylan rushed through the lunch line, anxious to get the food into her system. Finally, she made it to a table in the back of the room , carelessly dropping her tray and cargo backpack onto the table. She eyed the large lunch room while eating. _God I hate this fucking place_, she thought.

"Hey, what's up Ry?" Cece asked, sitting her tray down at the table. Ry didn't respond, only held up her burger to Cece Swanson.

Cece was Rylan's only true friend. They were best friends since the fourth grade, and as a promise to each other, they'd be friends forever. Although Rylan didn't speak much, Cece always understood her. She usually did the talking for Rylan. Usually standing up for Rylan is when Cece came in handy. Though Rylan had an excessive amount of fights in school, she promised her mom she'd try to stop getting in trouble. Doesn't mean trouble didn't find her a lot.

"You sure do look nice," Cece said sarcastically, looking at the off-green cargo jacket Rylan wore everyday.

Rylan wasn't an ugly girl. She had her mothers long, brunette hair and dark eyes. She didn't think she looked anything like her dad, who had light brown hair and blue eyes. When she did smile, it was brighter than the sun. He frame was petite and filled out, which caught the eye of some guys.

No, she wasn't an ugly girl. She was only an outcast.

Just as Rylan was finishing up her lunch and was ready to leave when she was interrupted. _Fuck, not today Stacy,_ she thought.

Stacy Parker. The most popular girl in high school. She looked like every other bimbo in the school; blond hair, caked-on make-up, skimpy clothes. Rylan didn't care about any of that. It was only one problem; Stacy was her step-sister.

Rylan's father, Ryan, had Stacy with is ex-wive only a few months before he met Letty. They split almost immediately, moving to Manhattan from Orlando, Florida. That's when he met Arletta Gonzalez, or Letty, at a gas station. Letty was skeptical of his intentions, but couldn't ignore her attraction to him. After dating for a few months, Rylan was born. Afterwards, Letty and Ryan moved in together and got married. Years later, they had Rylan's little brother, Robert, who was now seven.

Stacy made sure no one knew her and Rylan were related. When questioned about it, she'd only respond with, "As if". The only person who knew was Cece, which was why Stacy constantly bothered her.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Little Miss Misfit," Stacy squealed. Rylan rolled her eyes, gathering her things together.

"Back off Stacy, go find someone else to annoy," Cece snarled, lifting her tray from the table.

Stacy lifted one finger slyly, tipping the contents of Cece's tray onto her white tee.

"Oops, my bad," she smiled, her friends laughing behinds her.

Rylan knew she was going to get in trouble for what she was about to do next. Both her mom and dad would rip her a new one once she got home. _Oh well_, she thought. She took a deep breath before punching Stacy square in the jaw, dropping her into her friend's arms. Rylan led Cece away before anything escalated. They dumped their trays and were leaving the cafeteria before a voice stopped them.

"You'll be in so much trouble for this," Stacy quipped, stopping Rylan in her tracks. She knew exactly what Stacy meant; their parents.

"What you gonna do? Tell Mommy and Daddy on me?" Rylan smirked, knowing she had one-upped her sister.

Stacy turned beet red. "Pft, as if."

* * *

"Rylan, get your ass in here!" Letty yelled after hearing the front door slam shut. Rylan sighed heavily and followed her mother's voice, which was in the living room of their three-story home. She never understood why they needed such a big house, which was equipped with an in-ground pool, a game room, and a bar. But ever since her father got that CEO job at a law firm, he wanted them to live in luxury.

"Hey ma," Rylan kissed Letty's cheek, flopping down on the sofa next to her.

"Heard you and Stacy got into it again," she kept her eyes on the soap's on the flat-screen TV.

"She started it," was all Rylan replied as she laid her head in Letty's lap.

"Rylan! Rylan!" Robbie screamed as he ran into the living room, jumping on Rylan's chest.

"Whoa bud. You better keep it down, Mommy's gonna get you," she whispered to her brother. "Where's dad?"

"Up in his study. Don't bother him please," Letty begged. She knew how angry Ryan could get if he was interrupted during work. The bruises on her body would prove evidence.

The three sat on the couch for a while longer, just enjoying the company. _Nothing can ruin my mood now_, Rylan thought.

"I'm home!" a squeaky voice yelled from the hallway. _Spoke too soon_, Rylan thought again. Stacy came over, kissing Letty on the cheek and poking Robbie in the stomach. She and Rylan only scowled at each other.

"Damn, that looks like a nasty bruise. What happened?" Rylan asked sardonically, smiling bright. There was a purple bruise right on the jawline of Stacy's face.

"Mom, why couldn't we just give her away to the rest of the homeless people in New York? She doesn't fit in this family," Stacy spat venomously.

"That's enough you two! Jesus, you go at it like complete strangers. You're sisters, deal with it. Stacy, stop saying such nasty things," Stacy was about to argue but Letty stopped her, "and Rylan, for Christ sakes quit hitting her."

Rylan rolled her eyes and got up from the couch. Before she could leave the room, her mom stopped her.

"Where you going?" she asked, fearing that she hurt her feelings. Though Rylan was her birth daughter, she was always afraid she gave Stacy more attention because she didn't have a mother.

"To work. I am the only one in this room with a job," Rylan instantly regretted her comment, but only walked away.

She walked up to her room, which was fairly large. It held a full bed, two dressers and an entertainment system. Her XBOX 360 was hooked up to her large 40" Panasonic television. There were posters of Muhammad Ali and a '76 Firebird all over her walls.

Rylan took off her cargo jacket, tossing it on her bed. She slipped out of her black shirt, changing into a bra and her red work shirt, which red her last name on the back. She grabbed her favorite baseball cap and put it on. Just as she was packing fresh clothes in her cargo bag, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," she answered, not bothering looking. She only knew one person who knocked three times.

"Hey. Mom's pretty tore up about what you said," Stacy said, flopping down on Rylan's bed.

Rylan only shrugged. It wasn't that she didn't care, but she hated how fragile her mom turned out to be. She remembered when she was younger, she looked up to her mom for being tough. For standing up for herself. It was the reason Rylan turned out hardened and cold. She wanted to be just like Letty.

Rylan wasn't as clueless as she put out there. She had the room closest to her parents', so she knew every time they fought and the results. After years of hearing their bickering, she stopped wincing at the slamming doors. She stopped worrying after hearing a loud thud against the floor, then total silence.

Rylan pretended she didn't notice the bruises that covered her mother's body.

"I'm sorry about school today," Stacy apologized, catching Rylan off guard. Stacy never apologized, especially to her.

"Um, it's okay. I gotta go," Rylan left the room before the situation got more awkward.

While passing the living room, Rylan noticed how distant Arletta looked.

"You okay?" Rylan asked, leaning halfway through the threshold.

"Sure babe. Have fun at work," Letty replied, turning her attention to the TV.

Rylan's heart sank as she turned and left the house.

* * *

**There it is. My new story. It might be a dull start, but I'm trying. So read and review please!**


	2. Changes to Be Made

**Thanks for the reviews.**

_**Chapter Two**_

Rylan stared out the window from her seat on the city bus. She watched as she was driven through the rougher part of New York. _Poor bastards_, she thought, noticing the young men standing on the corners, passing baggies from one to another.

Everyday, Rylan took a bus to a job her parents didn't even know about. Considering her dad refused to buy her her own car, she was forced to take the bus. It wasn't that she didn't know how to drive. Arletta taught her to drive the day she turned fifteen. She even had her driver's license. Driving wasn't nearly the problem. It was her father's stinginess.

After getting off the bus, Rylan walked the two blocks to the dingy building. It was mildly dark with loud noise coming from it. It sounded like a power drill, but Rylan couldn't be sure.

"Tyler, you're late again," her boss, Keith Swanson, yelled as she stepped into the garage.

"I know. I missed my bus," she replied, not intending to add attitude.

"Lose the 'tude, Ry. I can't keep having you come in here late. I've been giving you a break lately," Swanson continued, oblivious to his egging on her bad mood.

"Dammit Swanson, I'm trying! If I had a damn car I wouldn't be taking the bus, therefore, I wouldn't be late," Rylan snapped, immediately regretting it. She knew what was coming next.

"Go hit the bag for twenty minutes. When you're cooled off, you can come back," Rylan sighed, walking to the locker room. She grabbed red Everlast open-fingered gloves from her locker and slipped them on. She took off her green jacket and slipped on a black hoodie. Rylan walked around back of the garage where there was a black punching bag hanging near junked parts.

Rylan went at the bag, letting all her frustration and emotions release. Every time she came into the shop angry, Swanson of Swanson's Auto Repair made her put on a sweatshirt and sweat out her anger on the punching bag. She didn't mind it, in fact, she actually liked it. It did help her release bad energy. She only hated the fact that she couldn't explain the bruises on her knuckles to her parents every time she came home from work.

"Upset again?" Cece asked, coming from behind a pile of junk. Because her father other's the auto repair shop, he forced her to work in the garage a few hours a day. She didn't mind, she had come to love cars after a few years.

"Your dad is a pest. Getting on me 'cuz I'm late again. He knows I take the bus everyday," Rylan said between punches and jabs. She was sweating profusely, but continued ripping into the bag.

"When are you gonna tell your parents? You know that's the reason they won't get you a car. They think you work at the grocery store around the corner, that's why you don't drive," Rylan knew Cece was right, but she just couldn't do it.

When Rylan first got the job, she was just turning sixteen. She decided it was better to tell her parents she was working at the grocery mart, which was only a block away. She knew her parents were way too uptight to allow her daughter to slum at a filthy garage.

"Yeah right. Dad would throw a hissy fit," Rylan replied, continuing at the bag.

Rylan worked the bag for ten minutes until she had finally had enough. She cleaned up in the bathroom before joining Cece and the other workers in the garage. She noticed a white and blue Volkswagen parked in the entrance of the garage.

"What's wrong with that?" Rylan asked a co-worker, Jeff.

"Oh nothing. Just some cat looking for a job. Says he used to be in a bad ass street racing gang back in L.A. His ride is pretty dope, huh?" Jeff asked, admiring the beautiful car, along with the rest of the workers.

Rylan walked around the car, inspecting it thoroughly. Though she didn't know much about the street racing game around her town, Jeff told her what to look for on a car to classify it was an import. She checked off the body kit, the modified height and tires, and the decals. She read the decals on the back of the car, which read: Team Toretto For Life. Rylan was positive more modifications came with the car, but she'd have to look under the hood.

"You like?" the blond man asked, smiling brightly at Rylan. He froze when he looked into Rylan's dark eyes. He studied her features, causing his heart to pound into a frenzy. _That life is in the past_, he thought.

"It's a nice car, but not really my type. More into muscle," Rylan replied, shrugging. "You okay buddy?" Rylan asked, noticing how pale and disoriented the man appeared.

"Yeah, you just look like someone I used to know," the man said. Rylan studied him, wondering if she had seen him before. He was about 5'11" and had bright blue eyes. His hair was blond and short, but tangled all around his head. He didn't look to have a very large build, but you could tell he had some muscle.

"Who knows," was all Rylan said.

Just as the moment was getting awkward, Swanson called out to the man.

"Um ... Jesse is it?" the man nodded. "Well you have very good credentials. You are definitely qualified for the job. We need a computer whiz to help around here. How 'bout you come in on Monday and we'll get you started."

* * *

Rylan stumbled lazily into her home around eight p.m that night. Her hands were aching and her stomach was growling. After dropping her things off on the couch, she made her way to the kitchen.

"You're late. Get cleaned up for dinner," Rylan's father ordered from the head of the table. She noticed how somber and distraught the family looked. Her eyes landed on her mother.

"What happened to you?" she asked Letty.

"Ran into the door. Go get cleaned up," Letty responded quickly, glancing up at Ryan. She casted her eyes to the floor. Letty's cut lip and bruised cheek said otherwise.

**Twenty minutes later...**

The dinner table was silent, excluding the clanking of silverware against plates. Letty and Ryan exchanged glances; Letty's fearful and Ryan's full of disgust.

"So how was work today?" Ryan asked Rylan, hoping to spark up conversation. Rylan rolled her eyes. She and her father didn't have a strong relationship and it annoyed her when he pretended like he cared about her.

"It was okay. Got a new worker today," Rylan spoke, scooping a mouth full of mac and cheese.

"How was that?" Arletta asked, picking at her food.

"Okay I guess. He has one bad ass Jetta," Arletta choked at the mention of the car. "It's great, but it looked pretty old."

"How do you know?" Ryan asked skeptically. Rylan sighed, she should've known he'd take it another way.

"I was on break and I saw him pull in," she lied through her teeth.

"How'd you do that?" he asked, pointing to her knuckles. She forgot how swollen and bruised they were. Her heart pounded nervously.

"Smashed them in the meat freezer again," she lied, hoping he'd be too stupid to notice.

"Stop lying to me Rylan," she was stunned by his sudden anger, but didn't flinch. "You work as a cashier, which is no where near a meat freezer. So tell me what really happen, and think carefully before you speak," Ryan finished, his eyes harsh ice cold.

"Like I said, I smashed them. Ma, can I be excused?" she asked. She knew if she sat there any longer, it'd end in a grounding or a beating, neither sounded appealing to her.

"Sure hun," Arletta replied, clearly fearful of her husband. Ryan eyed Letty angrily, but continued eating. Rylan dumped her food and retreated to her room.

* * *

Rylan laid in her bed listening to the activities in the room next door. Her parents were fighting, again. Something about Letty not listening to Ryan when he talks about work. Rylan listened to them for hours on end, not being able to get to sleep. She looked over at the clock, which read 2:30 AM. Groaning, she turned over in her bed, trying to escape her mother's shouts for freedom. She was unfortunately stuck with having the room closest to her parents, unavoidably listening to everything that happened in their room. The sex, the fights, the beatings, everything.

Rylan's jaw clenched as she heard a loud thud against her wall.

"You wanna talk some more shit, Arletta?" her father's voice boomed through both rooms. The hatred and evil in his tone ran shivers down her body.

Rylan sat up quickly, finally having had enough. She tossed on a black hoodie and sweat shorts and grabbed her cell. Dialing a number, she grabbed a shoe box out of her closet. She pulled out two rolls of cash and shoved them in her pockets.

"Hello?" a voice groaned on the other end.

"Hey, it's Rylan. You still got that thing?" she asked, shoving her feet in boots.

"Of course. You realize what time it is?" he asked, obviously unhappy about his early awakening.

"I need it, tonight. I'll meet you by the abandoned bakery," with that, Rylan hung up and slipped her cell into her pocket.

Slowly, Rylan crept out of her room. By the silence in her parent's room, she was sure they were now cradling each other back to health. She almost made it to the stairs when a bedroom door creaked open.

"Robbie, go back to bed!" she whispered harshly to her brother, who stood in his pajamas.

"Where you going, Rylan?" he asked innocently. Sometimes, she hated that he was so attached to her.

"For a walk buddy, go back to bed," Robbie stared to protest, but Rylan interrupted him. "Daddy's gonna get mad bud, you gotta go back to bed. I'll check on you when I get back," Robbie nodded and ran back to his room.

After making it out the house safely, Rylan began her ten minute journey to the bakery. Though she knew the Manhattan streets by heart, she hated walking around town late at night. All kinds of crazy things could happen, she knew that. Yet, she wasn't afraid. She only picked up her speed as the cool New York nights were no joke.

Finally approaching the bakery, Rylan spotted a tall man wearing a black jersey and blue jeans. He had on dark sunglasses and a hat. He was holding a crumpled brown paper bag.

"So who's on your list?" Lawrence, a co-worker from the garage, asked jokingly. He noticed how angry and brutal Rylan was on her first day on the job, and knew she had a killer's rage. No way was he condoning murder, but he knew that guns were the most powerful of defense in the world. She turned him down on his first offer, thinking he was nuts for offering her a gun. But now, she was happy he had.

"No one. It's just a crazy world, gotta protect myself," she semi-lied. She did need the gun for protection, intimidation even. It would only be aimed at a certain dickhead she knew.

"I guess," he pulled out the black, .9mm glock from the bag, wiping it down with a black bandanna. "It's brand new, bought it a few weeks ago. I need to get it out of my house 'cuz my girlfriend is too nosy. Don't want her to freak," he laughed, handing the gun to Rylan.

She felt an instant surge of power in her body. Holding such a powerful, yet dangerous made her feel invincible.

"You know that's not free right?" Rylan rolled her eyes as she dug in her pockets and handed him the grand. "Now remember, if shit hits the fan, you did _not_ get that from me."

She nodded and said goodbye to Lawrence. She tucked the weapon into her waist and started back for home.

_Things are gonna change now..._


	3. Revenge

**Thanks for the reviews.**

**Chapter Three**

Arletta's POV

After waking the kids up for school, I ran to the bathroom for my morning piss. I washed my hands and face, taking a close look at the ring around my left eye. I winced at the purple bruise on my cheek and I was sure there was a knot on the back of my head. _Just a price to pay for being the wife of one of the most wealthiest lawyer's in New York_.

I looked closely at myself, wondering how I had let my life get to this.

* * *

_It was Friday night and I stood in my wall-long mirror, checking out my body before I got dressed. I rubbed my fingers softly over the finger-like bruises on my arms and shoulders. Rubbing at my abs, I nearly vomited at the almost black bruise covering my stomach. Who knew a baseball bat could do such damage?_

"_Letty, get your ass down here!" I heard my abuser, my boyfriend Chase, scream from the bottom of the stairs. He and his friends were drunk and were dragging me to another one of their dumb keg parties. But I had already promised Mia that I'd go with her to the races tonight. "Let, what the hell are you doing?"_

_I scattered to dump extra clothes in a duffel bag as I pulled on some tight jeans and a tank top. I tossed them out the window of my home and climbed down the drain. I never could how it managed to hold me for all those years. Shaking off my thoughts, I peaked in the window to find Chase. His dumb friends were wrestling in the living room, but he wasn't anywhere in sight. Before I could think anymore, I grabbed my bag and I ran._

"_Hurry Dom, open the door!" I banged on the Toretto's front door. I could hear the loud clanking that could only belong to Mia's oversize bonehead brother, Dominic. His ego was about the size of his head, not counting his brain._

"_What's your malfunction?" Dom asked sarcastically as I pushed into the house and toward the stairs._

_Usually, I'd have a brutal and witty comeback for him, but I settled for flipping him the bird. He had to know something was up, because I never turned down a chance to insult Dom. I continued up the stairs to Mia's room._

_**An hour later...**_

"_Mia, Letty, let's go!" Dom stomped up the stairs two at a time looking for the girls. The boys were ready to leave and Dom couldn't wait to race. He found Mia in her room and she directed him to his own bedroom, where Letty was using his bathroom to get ready._

_He griped at Mia for letting her in, stomping to his room to find her. He quietly opened his room door, finding it to be silent. Tiptoeing to the bathroom, he put his ear to the door to listen. Frowning at how quiet Letty was, he burst the door open, only to be taken back by his sights._

_There Letty stood in a tight leather skirt and boots, shirtless. It was then Dom noticed the purple and blue bruises covering Letty's upper body._

"_What happened?" he asked through gritted teeth. She looked in the mirror at him, tears in her eyes._

"_I guess I'm not as strong as I thought," she replied, her tone shaky and uneven. Before her body could touch the floor, Dom caught Letty's collapsing body in his arms. He carried her out the bathroom and into his bedroom, placing her on his bed gently. Dom crawled into the bed next to Letty and held her tiny body close to his._

_It was no doubt that Letty and Dom had an attraction to each other. Everyone knew it, including them. At the same time, they couldn't stand being around each other for more than ten minutes without being at each other's throats. Dom knew the boys Letty dated were no good, and he warned her that one day they'd "show her just how lame they were". He had no idea that her latest boyfriend, Chase, would take it to this level._

"_It's okay Arletta. You're safe now. I promise with my life, you're safe with me."_

_It was those few words that guaranteed Dominic a spot in Letty's heart forever._

* * *

"Arletta!" Ryan's raspy voice brought me back to reality. I quickly wiped away the tears, tossing water on my face. I tried taking deep breaths to restart my heart up that seemed to die at the thought of Dom's warm eyes. Those warm eyes...

"Baby, didn't you hear me calling you?" Ryan walked into the bathroom, wrapping his arms around me from behind. He looked at my eye in the mirror, wincing at the bruising on my cheek. "Sit, let me clean that up," he gently sat me on the toilet seat while he rummaged through the medicine cabinet for the First Aid kit. He rubbed some soothing cream on my cheek while stroking my jawline with his other hand. He dabbed a washcloth at my bruised eye, kissing it afterward.

It was moments like these that I didn't regret loving Ryan. He had his moments, his days even when he was such a loving and caring man. He took care of me and enjoyed the kids even more. Hell, he had times where he actually liked Rylan.

I didn't know why she and he resented each other so bad. Sometimes I thought maybe it could be the fact that they weren't anything like each other. Rylan was my mini-me. Looks, personality, attitude, the works. The only thing that Ryan and Rylan shared was a strong work ethic. When they wanted something, both were overly-persistent, which clearly wasn't always a good thing.

When I look at her, I can only see one person. Those dark eyes, that promising smile, her awkward sense of humor, every little thing about her ... was _him_. Especially when he did something wrong; he always could sweet talk his way out of anything.

* * *

_Dom walked into the room with his arm around Letty, both giggling at the clueless Snowman, who now owed him a brand new car. Dom immediately stripped off his black tank and tossed it on the floor. He flopped down on the bed, placing his arms underneath his chin. Letty grabbed the massage oil and jumped on his back._

"_Dom, why do you flirt with those girls?" Letty asked, rubbing the oil onto his smooth back._

"_Letty, come on, not now," Dom groaned, enjoying the feel of her hands._

"_No, now," she stopped the massage, climbing off the bed. She stood in front of him with her arms crossed. _Shit_, he thought to himself. He knew that stance. He should've known Letty, she didn't let anything go._

"_Look, Let, it's not a big deal. You know it's all for show," Dom said, holding his arms out to Letty. She scowled, side stepping his arms._

"_Sure didn't look like it was for show. Dom, I'm not stupid and I'm damn sure not blind. You can't keep your fucking libido under control for a fucking hour without catching a boner at the first skirt you see. What, am I not good enough for you Dom? What do I have to do, dye my fucking hair and get fake tits?!" Letty ranted, oblivious to the tightness she was causing in his jeans._

_When Dom only growled, glaring her body up and down, Letty grew even more furious._

"_Stop looking at me like a piece of meat! I'm fucking serious Dominic! I'm sick of you and the skanks!" Dom continued to ignore her, only he climbed out of bed. He walked too her as she stepped back, throwing threats and obscenities at him. He finally backed her into a corner, staring down at her with extreme lust._

"_I'm sorry. You know you're the only woman for me. You know I love you, right?" his deep voice was soft, and it instantly swept Letty off her feet._

"_Yeah, whatever," she smirked, allowing him to pick her by her ass and carry her to the bed._

* * *

**Hours later...**

I sat in the living room, flipping through the channels. I hated not having something to do. Since I was a kid, I wanted to be working. Rather it be with my mom cleaning house, or with my dad under a car.

Thinking about being under a car sent a lightening bolt of frustration through my body. I couldn't remember the last time I seen the engine of a car, hell even a wrench. I tried numerous times to get a job here in NY, but Ryan was hellbent on keeping me locked up in the house. Claiming "a woman shouldn't even be near a car, let alone under one". I wanted to ditch him after that comment, but he was so incredible.

After the last heist went wrong, Leon and I bailed to Mexico. _He _was supposed to show up a few hours later.

Only he didn't.

He had the audacity to call a few days later, saying that he was laying low in Texas, not Baja.

"I'm gonna hang here for a few days until everything blows over," he said, no regret or remorse in his voice. Not to much surprise, that was a lie too.

He never came for us. Yeah, he called a once every few weeks to make sure we weren't in jail, but he never showed.

He never came back for me.

So Leon and I went back to L.A a few weeks later. The LAPD were on our ass, but said they couldn't dig up enough proof or evidence that we were involved, so we were cleared. After making sure Mia, Vince, Jesse, and Leon were set for a while, I left.

I couldn't stay with them, waiting by the phone every night for a call, or for him to show up. I got in my 240SX and drove like a bat out of hell out of L.A and California for good. I had no set destination, but somehow ended up in New York. It seemed like a great place for a fresh start. I had enough money to take care of myself for a few years, so I had no one to rely on but myself. Figured it was better that way anyways.

(No POV)

Rylan was nervous in school all day. She knew her mother went into her room without knocking, and she wouldn't dare snoop into her stuff. But she wasn't so sure about her father, or even Stacy. If they found what was hiding underneath her mattress wrapped in a bandanna, she knew her dad would be the first to call the cops.

"Ms. Tyler?" Rylan snapped out of her daze, realizing all eyes were on her. "Glad to have you with us again. Now I asked you how we can improve this car to make it more appealing..." the question was left in the air for a few seconds.

Rylan stared at the car, which was a '01 Cavalier. A local car dealer loaned it to the high school's Automotive shop class for a complete makeover. After it was finished, it was to be auctioned off at a fair.

"Paint job and some graphics?" she asked, completely unsure because of her lack of attention.

"Exactly class. That's gonna be your new project. This car has to look beautiful for the auction, and you all will come together and give her a little makeup. You'll need to divide into two groups, one assigned for the paint job, and the other the graphics. Get started," the shop instructor said, laughing at the group's excited squeals.

"What's wrong Ry? I thought this would be your favorite part," Cece asked, noticing how distant Rylan looked.

Rylan shook her head, hoping Cece would leave it alone. She should have known better.

"Come on, don't give me that. You've been like that all day. What's bothering you?" Rylan knew Cece was only trying to help, but she wasn't making her mood better.

"My dad's beating mom," Rylan said.

"And? I knew that. What else?"

"It's getting worse. I'm afraid she'll end up dead if something doesn't happen," Rylan said, the emotion and hatred in her voice gave Cece chills.

"Why don't you call the police, tell someone about it Ry," Cece pleaded.

"Are you serious? My father is the most praised lawyer in New York City. Ain't no way in hell people are gonna believe he's beating his wife," Rylan replied, walking into the group her and Cece were entered in without their knowledge.

"Well you have to do something. Why hasn't your mom left him?"

Rylan thought hard. It wasn't a question she had actually asked her mom. "I don't know. I guess 'cause she loves him. Love or not, I'd never let a man take away so much from me that he's taken from her. I remember when I was little, she used to be so strong. So dominant and aggressive, and I liked it. Now she's living in hell. I wanna get her out of there Cece," Rylan looked at her friend with determination.

Cece knew that look. "No. Whatever it is your crazy ass is thinking of, leave me out of it. I don't want part of whatever you're thinking about doing," she walked away to get supplies to start on the graphics.

Rylan followed behind her closely, "It's nothing much Cece. Look, I wanna get her out of New York. I read on some papers that said she was from Los Angeles, maybe we can go there."

"Are you crazy?! There's no way in hell you're getting your mom and family to move across the country. What are you thinking?" Cece asked, curious to what it could be this time.

"I bought a gun last night. Now before you freak, I'm not gonna use it. I'm just gonna scare my dad a bit, make him back off long enough for me to try to get through to her."

"So what do you need me for?" Cece asked. She wanted to freak that her best friend had bought a gun, but then again, she wasn't so surprised.

"Well I'm gonna need cars. Three of them. Fast cars Cece."

Cece pouted, she hated getting involved in Rylan's messes. She was her best friend and would do anything for her, but sometimes she wondered where the hell Rylan came up with her ideas.

"When do you need them?" Cece gave in, rolling her eyes.

"By next week. Yes, I love you Cece!" Rylan shrieked with happiness, hugging her friend close. She didn't know that the class was watching her in astonishment. Rylan had never shower that much emotion around anyone before.

"Well lookie there, the dyke can smile," a boy's voice came from across the room, getting Rylan's full attention.

She removed herself from Cece and turned to him. Dallas Dinkerman, the asshole who picked on Rylan for three years because she wouldn't go on a date with him. The asshole who told everyone in their high school class that she was a lesbian because she wouldn't sleep with him. The asshole that Rylan was tired of dealing with.

"Why don't you shut your mouth you fucking prick!" Rylan yelled, marching over to him.

"Whoa, whoa there cutie. You are something sexy when you're mad. Too bad you don't like this," he smiled, grabbing his crotch. The boys surrounding him laughed, and the other two girls in the class snickered.

"Enough Dallas, knock it off," the shop instructor, Mr. Hunter, ordered, wanting to take his class back.

Just after the teacher turned around, Rylan swung a left hook into Dallas' face, landing it right on the nose. The whole class 'oowed' as Rylan pounced on Dallas, hitting every available space on his face. Mr. Hunter turned around, racing over to the scene as Cece tried to pull Rylan off of Dallas.

"Rylan Parker, enough! Both of you, to the office, now!" Mr. Hunter helped Dallas off the ground, the class wincing at his face. His nose was pouring blood and it was clearly broken. He had a gash across his cheek and his left eye was swollen.

Rylan licked the sweat from her lip as she walked down the hall. She had an evil smile on her face. She felt good.

_Revenge never felt so good._


	4. A Past Unknown

**Thanks for the views.**

**Chapter Four**

Rylan sat in the office, waiting on the principle to get done with another student. She sat on the bench, listening to the secretary on the phone with her mom.

"Mrs. Parker, your daughter has gotten into another fight and the principle would like if it if you came down ... no ma'am, it wasn't with Stacy..."

Rylan tossed her head back against the wall with a thud. She knew this wouldn't go very well. It was her fifth fight the school year and it had only started a few months ago. It was her senior year and she was hoping to get through it without any complications. But then again, that was only a fantasy.

Rylan's whole life was one, big complication. She was always the awkward kid in school with the stuck up, rich peers. She tried on many occasions to fit in with everyone. She went the distance of dressing like a girl, wearing makeup, and flirting shamelessly with boys. After awhile, Rylan got tired of failed attempts.

Instead, she went back to being herself. Lonely, awkward, hard. She only felt her best during two occasions; being under a car, or being with her family. Even if she hated her father's guts. She'd put up with him to spend time with her mother and siblings.

She didn't know how old she was exactly when her and her father began butting heads. She remembered it to be somewhere in middle school, when she started noticing how unusual her parent's relationship was. Ryan was very bossy towards Arletta, always barking orders at her. She was old enough to know that it wasn't normal, nor was it right.

One particular night changed her and Ryan's relationship completely.

* * *

_Rylan's parents were coming back for a business dinner with some of Ryan's co-workers. Ryan bit his tongue the whole night as he watched his boss flirt shamelessly with his wife. And now Arletta and Ryan were fighting for the third time this week._

"_Oh Ryan, come off it. I wasn't flirting with anyone okay? God, your so paranoid!" Arletta yelled, slipping into a light blue gown that stopped short at her thighs._

"_Bullshit! He couldn't keep his hands off you! And you just let him," Ryan replied, getting into Letty's face._

"_Ryan, you need to relax," Letty laughed nervously, walking back to the mirror to take off her jewelry._

"_You need to quit acting like a whore," Ryan snapped at Letty's back. _

"_Excuse me?! Who the hell do you think you are?" she got in his face, fed up with his attitude._

_Over in Rylan's room, she was just finishing up her homework as she heard the bedroom door next to hers slam. The voice's in the next room were louder and more clear._

"_I'm fucking out of here, Ryan!" she heard her mother's voice yell. Rylan jumped up from bed and peeked out the door, watching her parents. Her mother had two bags packed, standing at the edge of the stairs. Her father stood in front of her, angry eyes piercing down on her._

_Ryan pulled Letty to him by her arm, backhanding her hard. It was then that Rylan sprung into action._

"_You aren't going anywhere!" Ryan yelled at Letty's body on the floor. She was cupping her cheek emotionally. Ryan bolted down the hall where her father stood over her mother venomously._

"_Leave her alone!" she pushed her father, trying to get to her mother. Instead, she got a hard shove from her father. Rylan stumbled, unable to hold her balance. Arletta cried out as Rylan tumbled down the long stairs, landing hard at the bottom._

"_You asshole!!" Arletta yelled, pushing her husband out the way as she ran to Rylan's aide. Rylan was sitting up, cradling her left arm with her other one. "It looks broken."_

_Ryan ran his hands down his face in frustration, bouncing down the stairs quickly. He stopped to give Rylan a blank stare, then stepped over her and marched out the home._

* * *

"Rylan, I'm talking to you" the raspy Hispanic voice snapped Rylan out of her daydream. She looked up at her mother, who looked more than pissed off. Her hair was in curls around her head and she was wearing khaki slacks and a white tank top.

"Sorry Mom, drifted out," she said as her mother took a seat next to her.

"You do that?" she asked, pointing to the boy down the hall, who was holding an ice pack on his nose.

She didn't speak, only nodded. Arletta held her hand out for a low five, making Rylan smile. She returned the gesture slyly as the secretary watched.

"So what happened this time?" Letty asked.

"I got fed up with him talkin' shit. So I shut him up," Rylan shrugged, as if it was nothing.

Before Letty could reply, the principle opened his door.

"Mrs. Parker, Rylan, please come in," he held the door open as the two stepped into his office.

They took a seat in chairs in front of the principle, Mr. Hugh's, desk.

"Mrs. Parker, I'm sure you were informed on why your daughter is in my office again. She attacked another student in shop class today."

"He was running his mouth!" Rylan defended herself.

"Irrelevant Ms. Parker. What is relevant is that this is your fifth fight this year. This is truly unacceptable behavior and being one of the most prestigious schools in the district, we cannot tolerate her behavior. Now, the teachers enjoy Rylan in class, but are afraid she's way too angry to be in class with other normal students..."

"What the hell does that mean?" both Letty and Rylan yelled. The principle was taking back at the anger of both feisty women.

"I'm sorry, that came out wrong. What I mean is, Rylan's anger is becoming out of control and I'm afraid we've reached out last straw," his voice was solemn and regretful. Rylan knew it was coming, so she stood up and marched out the room, slamming the door behind her. "I'm afraid we're going to have to remove Rylan from the school ... permanently."

"So she's being expelled?"

"Yes, from all the schools in the district, for at least one full school year. Which means, unfortunately she won't be graduating with her class. Now if you would like, we would be willing to contact an anger management counselor-" before he could finish, Arletta was stomping out his office.

**-x-**

Letty flung the Mercedes car door open, slamming it shut behind her. She dropped her head on the steering wheel, sighing in frustration.

"You were expelled," Rylan didn't speak, only nodded, though her mother couldn't see it. "Why do you do this Rylan? Why do you have to fight? Why are you so damn angry?!" Letty yelled, tears stinging her eyes.

Rylan dropped her head. She hated when her mother yelled at her. She thought the most of her and everything she did well, she did for her mother. It only matter what Letty thought of her.

"I'm sorry. Dallas has been picking on me for years. I just got tired of him running his mouth," Rylan casted her glare out the window.

"You still didn't answer my question," Letty cupped Rylan's chin, turning her face towards her. "Why are you so angry, Ry?"

Tears instantly sprang to Rylan's eyes. She hated when her mother got emotional like this. She blinked the tears away the best she could.

"Because I hate the person you've become," Rylan wanted to kill herself for saying that, but she had to tell the truth. Her mother was stunned, her face broken. "I remember when I was little, you were so animated, so strong and confident. You use to stand up to Ryan. He pushed, and you pushed back. Now, you're just like every other house wife in this fucking town," Rylan replied.

"You're father is a good man Ry. He is just struggling with work right now. The company is losing workers and gaining more clients-" Letty rambled.

"There you go! That's what I mean. Don't make excuses for him, mom! He beats the crap out of you, and you're here making excuses. Why are you still with him?"

Letty thought for a second. She didn't know how to explain to her daughter that when you love someone, you'll put up with all their bullshit, just to guarantee they'll be there. She was a professional when it came to putting up with bullshit from men who claimed they loved her.

"To be honest Ry, I don't know. I'm afraid if I do leave him, a lot worse than a beating will come. And you know your father is the most honored attorney in this city. If I even thought about leaving him, he'd try to take you guys from me so quickly," Letty replied, pulling into the local food market, ironically, the place Rylan 'worked'.

"Why don't you go to the police?" Rylan asked, unaware of the coincidence as she stepped out of the car.

"Shit, I wish. Ain't a judge in this state that would convict him of domestic abuse. I guess I just gotta ride it out 'til you and Stacy turn eighteen. That way I can get Robbie out of there," Letty said, grabbing a cart. "Hey don't you get your check today? How 'bout you go get it and I'll take you shopping," Letty suggested.

Rylan's heart began pounding. She looked around, finally spotting the name of the supermarket; Dale's Supermarket. _Fuck, fuck, fuck_, Rylan thought. She knew there was no way she could lie her way out of this one. She pulled her mom aside.

"I have to tell you something..." she trailed off. Arletta looked at her curiously. "I don't work here."

"What do you mean? You've had this job for over a year," she replied, confused.

"No, Mom, I haven't. I don't work here," Rylan said, feeling ashamed about lying.

"Well where do you work Rylan Tyler?" Rylan winced. It was never good when her mother used her first _and_ middle name.

"Swanson's Auto Repair?" she asked, rather than stated. She noticed how her mother's eyes lit up slightly at the news.

"You..you work in a garage?" Letty asked, completely stumped. _How could I not have known? The dirty finger nails, cleaning grease out of her clothes, finding random bolts and nuts in her jeans. You don't even know her!_

"I wanted to tell you, but I know how you and dad are. You'd kill me if you found out I was slumming it downtown. But it's what I love to do, Mom. I love cars, especially muscle cars. It's just something about an engine that I can't turn away from. I love the feel of a car when I'm in it, not exactly the Mercedes, but it's a nice car. Mom, please don't make me stop-" Rylan ranted, causing the attention of the supermarket to be on her.

"Relax Rylan," Letty said, leading her daughter down an aisle for privacy. Letty didn't know what to say for a long time. Finally, she spoke. "So muscle cars huh?"

Rylan looked at Letty with a smile as she dropped Doritos into the buggy.

* * *

Rylan and her mother were sitting on the sofa at home, watching a movie and eating pizza. Ryan called to inform them that he wouldn't be home until late, so they decided to crash in front of the TV until the other kids got home.

They talked about the garage where Rylan worked. Letty seemed more than interested that her daughter inherited her skills.

"Mom, why'd you leave L.A.?" Rylan asked out of the blue, catching Letty off guard. Arletta sat back on the sofa and sighed.

"That's long history Rylan. Way long," she replied, hoping her daughter would let her go.

"We have exactly two hours before Robbie gets out of school," she implied, smiling at her mom.

Letty gave in, snuggling up with a pillow. She knew it'd be a long story, so she tried to make it as short as possible.

"I was born and raised in Los Angeles. I lived down the street from the Toretto's, Mia, Dominic, and their dad, Anthony. Anthony owned a garage of his own, that's where I learned everything I know about cars-"

"You were a mechanic?!" Rylan gasped.

Arletta laughed at her surprised reaction, "Yeah, I was. Anyways. Fast forward a few years, I fell in love with Mia's brother, Dominic. We were like Bonnie and Clyde. During our teenage years, we formed a bad ass street racing team, which consisted of Me, Dom, Mia, Dom's best friend Vince, and these two guys, Jesse and Leon. That's a whole other story though," Rylan drowned out her mother's talking as a name rang familiar to her. Jesse. _Could it be the same person? _

"Dom was an idiot and got us caught up in jacking moving semis. We did a few jobs, got away with it too. Made some serious money off of it. The last heist we did was the one that screwed us all up for life. The one that ruined my life," Letty said, staring blankly ahead.

"Mom, are you okay?" Letty didn't respond, instead, tears began rolling down her cheeks. "Mom, what happened?" Rylan asked, truly concerned. Her mother barely cried around the children. Even when she was completely broken, she always kept it together in front of Rylan.

"That heist went wrong. Vince got tangled up on the truck. I flipped my car. Found out that Snowman was a cop. Afterwards Leon and I bolted to Mexico to wait for Dom and the others to come. Only they didn't. When we called Mia, she told us Jesse was in the hospital. He was shot in a drive-by. She told us Dom bolted without her, without so much as a goodbye. He never came to Mexico, instead, said something about going to Texas to hide out. Haven't seen him since," Letty finished, using the tissue Rylan gave her to wipe her smearing make-up. "I went back to LA to take care of my family for a while. After a month, I ran."

"You've been through a lot of shit, huh Mom?" Rylan asked, staring into her mother's deep brown eyes.

"Only if you knew Rylan. Dominic was the only man I ever loved until I met Ryan. I didn't even get to tell him I was pregnant," Letty mumbled, taking a deep breath.

Rylan nodded, listening to her mother. She frowned.

Something didn't sound right.

"Wait, what did you just say?"


	5. Lifestyle Changes

**Thanks for the reviews.**

**Chapter Five**

"Wait, what did you just say?" she asked her mother, pain in her voice. Arletta realized what she said, and pinched the bridge of her nose. "What do you mean, you didn't tell him you were pregnant?"

Arletta frowned. She didn't realize why she didn't think about it sooner. _Because you were too afraid to think about him_.

"After I got to Mexico, I went to the hospital 'cause of my accident. Found out I was like two months pregnant. I hid it pretty well around everyone except Leon. He went with me and we found out together. After I started seeing Ryan, and after our first time, he was too caught up in his work to figure it out. So I never said anything. Hell, after a while, I started to believe that he was your father," Letty confessed.

Rylan was the one crying now. She knew something more major then her father's attitude was to blame for their differences. She knew she looked nothing like him. But she had no idea about her mother's past life, or about her criminal past.

"Are you saying that dad – I mean Ryan – isn't my real father?" Rylan's yelling was giving Letty a headache.

"Sit your ass down Rylan!" Rylan obeyed her mother, flopping down angrily on the sofa. "Now, I had no intentions on telling you or Ryan about this. We were already settled in and you were so happy here, I didn't wanna do anything to jeopardize that."

"Well clearly we aren't happy anymore. God I hate that bastard, Mom!" Rylan yelled, receiving a scowl from her mother.

"Ry, I swear if you don't shut the hell up!" Ryan quieted. She wasn't use to her mother yelling at her that way. "Now, I'm sorry I let this go on so long and didn't mention anything. But when I told Ryan I was pregnant with you, he was so damn happy. I didn't wanna take away his Little Girl," Arletta replied, sitting down next to Rylan.

"So, this..this Dominic guy. He's my dad huh?" Rylan asked, leaning her head back, staring into her mother's eyes.

"I guess so."

"Tell me about him."

"Another time babe. Right now, we need to pick up your brother," Letty said, standing up from the floor.

* * *

"Is this it?" Letty asked as she pulled into the dingy, loud building.

Rylan took a deep breath, "Yep, this is it."

It was Monday afternoon and Letty insisted that she take Rylan to work. They decided it would be best to keep her occupation a secret. Also, they made a pact not to speak about Rylan's real father until something was done about Rylan's behavior. When Ryan found out about Rylan's expulsion, he made it his duty to ground for two months. She didn't bother to get mad, she knew she'd have her revenge sooner or later.

"K, they guys take to picking on me, so don't take anything offensive. And please don't be judgmental Mom. I know it looks like a dump, but this is a second home to me," Rylan pleaded. Letty couldn't resist those eyes. _He had those eyes_.

"Sure baby," Letty replied, shutting off the Mercedes.

The co-workers began filling out of the garage, taking a look at the maroon Mercedes that just sparkled compared to the ruggedness of the street. Rylan rolled her eyes at the catcalls and whistles that filled the air as she and Letty stepped out the car.

"Damn, Ry, where did you pick up this fine mamacita?" Jose, a Spanish co-worker, howled, looking at Arletta up and down. Rylan rolled her eyes. She tried to get her mother to change clothes, but Letty griped that she "looked hot". She was wearing tight khaki cargo pants with brown tank that hugged her body.

"Yeah, and how the hell do you know someone with a Mercedes Benz?" Jeff asked, circling the beautiful car.

"Guys, knock it off. This is my mom, Arletta. Mom, these are the hornballs," Rylan introduced to the boys, who were still howling.

"Call me Letty," Letty's raspy voice spoke, catching Rylan off guard. She never went by Letty at any time. Rylan never even knew her mother had that nickname. "You touch, you die," Letty smiled evilly at the young man, who backed off. Swanson finally decided to come out and find out what all the commotion was.

"Mrs. Parker, great to see you again. Rylan here is one of my most talented workers. If there were more kids around like her, half these goons would be outta here," Swanson laughed, sending the boys into a rift.

"Well, I guess it runs in her genes," Letty smiled at Rylan, who took notice of the double meaning. "I gotta go, I'll pick you up later," Rylan and Letty bumped knuckles and she got in her car.

Just then, the familiar white Jetta began pulling into the driveway. Rylan watched from her locker as her mother's car slowed next to the Jetta. Both drivers stared at each other, completely flabbergasted at the reunion. Letty smiled brightly at Jesse, trying to control jumping out of the car. Yet, Jesse only frowned and sped up into the garage. Letty sighed, frowning as she fled out of the parking lot.

"What was that all about?" Swanson asked as Jesse slammed the door to his car.

"Beats me," he asked, his eyes meeting with Rylan's.

* * *

Rylan wiped the beads of sweat from her face as she crawled from underneath the Ford Explorer she and Cece were working on. They had been working hard to fix the brakes and a leak from under the SUV for more than twenty minutes.

Rylan grabbed a sandwich from the minifridge in the back of the shop and walked to the old, worn couch at the entrance of the garage. Cece joined in a comfortable silence as they ate and watched cars breeze by the shop.

"So what's the scoop?" Cece asked randomly. Rylan looked at her questioningly. "How'd you tell your mom about work? I thought for sure she'd freak," Cece replied.

"After I got expelled, we went to the market to shop. She made the choice of going to the place where I was supposed to be working. I ended up telling her the truth. Ended up finding out some truth myself.," Rylan vaguely respond.

By the look on Cece's face, she knew that she would pry until she had the details. Rylan then proceeded to tell her friend everything that happened that day. She went over her mom's lives, both love and criminal. She knew she shouldn't have, but she even told loud-mouth Cece about her real father; " a punk named Dominic" was how she described him.

"So you mean you're not a Parker? Ryan isn't your real dad?" Cece screeching voice rang through the shop.

"Damn Ce, say it a little louder, I don't think the rest of New York heard you," Rylan replied bitterly. "But yeah, Ryan isn't really my dad. My mom was pregnant when she came here. So now I have two jerks for dads."

"Tyler and Swanson, I don't pay you two to sit around and gossip. Get back to work," Keith yelled from his office.

"You don't pay me at all dad!" Cece laughed, jumping off the couch.

Both girls when back to the SUV to finish patching up the hole in the oil tank. Jesse walked over to the hood of a junked Buick to write down some specs on the engine. Rylan spotted him and knew it was her chance.

"So where you from Jesse?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Cali boy," he smiled brightly at her.

"Cali huh? Why so far from home Dorothy?" Rylan asked. She didn't care if she was prying, she wanted to know everything she could.

"I needed a change of scenery," he responded, his tone far.

"You leave the sunny beaches of California for the slums of downtown New York? That's a big change of scenery."

"Let's just say things needed to change in my life. It was time for me to grow up," he looked down at her body under the belly of the Ford, and was instantly reminded of that old friend that left without so much as a goodbye. "See ya around, Kiddo," he walked away.

Rylan stood quickly, "Hey!" she called to his back. He stopped without turning around. "Does the name Dominic Toretto mean anything to you?"

Jesse thought for a minute. He turned his head slightly, looking over his shoulder. "Not anymore."

**-x-**

Rylan lay in her bed watching her favorite show in the SPEED channel, Pinks. She was getting into it when her cell phone rang.

"Dammit," she muttered to her self, searching her bed for the annoying ringing. "What is it Cece?" she asked.

"I'm picking up the third car as we speak," Cece's voice was short, but she was breathing heavily. "Jeff hurry up!"

"What? Now? How?" Rylan asked, sitting up on her bed.

"No yesterday. Yes, now, Stupid!" Cece said. She always did get antsy when she was on a run. "Jeff is so fucking slow. My grandma could boost a car faster than him!"

"What do you have?" Rylan asked, feeling the adrenaline in her body racing. She usually rolled with Cece when she was on a 'run', but never got her hands dirty in the process of stealing a car.

"Got a Mustang, Range Rover, and you're gonna love this one," Cece paused, "A Ferrari."

Rylan felt her heart skip a beat. Though she loved muscle cars more than anything, exotics were high on her list also. Especially Ferraris.

""Where the hell did you go those cars?"

"Some douche bags were talking shit to me, Jeff, and Jose while we were at the races Saturday night. Took down those plates, tracked the location, and voilà, gotcha three new cars. But don't worry, we changed the plates so they aren't traceable. Tell me where you want 'em and they're all yours," Cece said with a smile.

They discussed where to hide the cars until Rylan was ready for them. After talking a little while longer, Rylan was called down to dinner. She bounded happily down the stairs, humming as she reached in the fridge for a soda. Her father was sitting at the table, a brew in hand, while Arletta sat the food down on the table. Stacy and Robbie were having a staring contest which Stacy was losing horribly. Rylan kissed her mother on the cheek, then Robbie, and even Stacy, who wiped it off with a smile.

"Ma, is it the end of the world?" Stacy asked Arletta sarcastically.

"Must be. Why are you so giddy?" Letty asked Rylan, who flopped down in her seat. She gawked at the lasagna that sat in the middle of the table. The fumes from the garlic bread almost made her drool.

"Cece got me some presents, that's all," she said, shrugging her shoulders. Her father looked at her suspiciously, and she caught the look.

"What's the occasion?" Letty asked, taking her seat at the table.

"A big change in lifestyle," she said, staring into her father's fiery blue eyes.

* * *

Rylan laid in her bed that night, tossing and turning from the yelling in the next room. _What the fuck is his problem every damn night?!_

She got out of bed, pulling on jeans and a black tank. She reached under her mattress, pulling out the heavy bandanna. She unwrapped her new best friend and tucked it in her waist band. She crept out of her room and down to her sister's.

Stacy felt an uneasy presence in her room while she slept. Her arms covered in goosebumps as the feeling got stronger. The feeling was familiar and she wanted to scream. She knew she'd pay if she did. She woke herself and turned on her lamp on the end table. Looking around her room, she jumped out of bed with a loud yell.

"Rylan, what the hell are you doing?!" she yelled. Rylan was standing at the door, holding her chest from fright.

"I needed to talk you! Calm down!" she screamed back.

"Get the hell out of my room, freak!" Stacy screeched, pointing to the door.

"C'mon Stace, it's important. Lemme talk to you," Rylan said calmingly, which seemed to relax Stacy. She took a deep breath then nodded, crawling back into bed. Rylan crawled in next to her, making sure to keep her 'tool' on her side opposite her sister. Didn't want her to see it and freak.

Rylan then proceeded to tell Stacy about their mother and her past in Los Angeles. She filled her in on her real father, which Stacy didn't seem surprised about.

"Hell, I could've told you that," Stacy replied. "You guys hate each other."

She laughed and continued. Together, they came up with a plan, but there was only one flaw.

"Stacy, I can't go. I got that scholarship to University of Miami. I can't just blow that off," Stacy said, running her hands through her hair.

"Damn. Well doesn't Tonya stay down there? I mean, you guys talk some. Maybe she'd let you stay with her until then."

"I don't need her for anything. She wasn't a mom then, and she isn't one now. I hate her for not fighting for me. She just let him take me, she didn't even try for me. I'll just stay with a friend until then," she said.

"I want you out of here as much as I want Mom. I know what he does to you Stacy," Rylan whispered. Her sister's eyes watered instantly, but she looked away. "I know he hurts you. I watched him creep past my room and into yours. I'm not stupid Stace. I know you hate him just as much as I do."

Stacy let one tear fall before wiping the rest away. Rylan was right. She did hate her father. He had been creeping into her room late at night for almost a year now, and she hated every minute of it. She saw what he did to her mom, and she didn't want that fate to fall on her. So she lay there as he assaulted her, abused her, raped her every night.

"How about you go to bed and I'll stay here for awhile? I'll make sure he doesn't hurt you tonight," Rylan said softly, feeling slightly unusual. She and Stacy had a close relationship until high school, when Rylan became 'the freak'. They despised each other, but could be civilized when they had too.

"I'd like that," Stacy replied, snuggling back under her blankets. Rylan ran her hands through Stacy's hair as she fell sound asleep.

_That fucker is breaking my whole family down._


	6. Kings and Queens

**Thanks for the reviews. P.S. I know somehow I didn't get the timing right concerning Letty's pregnancy. I got confused and I kinda gave up. The point was: Letty was pregnant when she left L.A., and no one knew but Leon. Sorry for the confusion.**

**Chapter Six**

(Jesse)

I woke up the next morning to my alarm clock blaring in my ears. Groaning, I knocked it off the table, watching it break into pieces on the floor. I'd have to buy a new one. Standing from my bed, I walked out onto the balcony of my apartment. I pulled out a smoke and lit it, taking a deep drag.

How the hell did I end up here? ... in downtown New York ... alone ... with only five grand and my Jetta to call my own?

Oh yeah, that's right.

Dominic Toretto. He's the reason I'm here.

After getting out the hospital and being questioned by the Feds for hours on end, I went back to Echo Park. A place I called home since I was fourteen. Thankfully, everyone was clear and back home. Everyone except Dominic. He had ran like a punk and didn't come back. Didn't call, didn't show up, didn't even write. Mia and Letty worried and panicked over him for months. Everything seemed like it was just getting back to normal, until we woke up and Letty wasn't there anymore.

She bailed on us just like Dominic had. Left without a goodbye, a letter or a call. We looked for her for days. But after a while, we just accepted the fact that she left to find him and wouldn't be back for us.

After she left, I knew I had to help get our family back together. They took care of me for years, but now they needed someone to take care of them. Our rock was gone. He ran like a coward.

So I felt it was up to me to help. I enrolled Vince into physical therapy to get his arm back to good health. I gave Mia some of my cut from the trucks (Dom left me some even if I didn't participate) to help put her through college. At first she refused it, saying that she wouldn't go. But I knew Mia better than that and I knew that college was her dream. She wanted to be a nurse and take care of people. So I helped her. While she was away, I hired a few good guys and Leon and I got the garage back up and running. Business was great, and it was like nothing ever happened.

That is, until Dominic showed up.

* * *

_A few guys from the garage, Leon, Mia, Vince, and Jesse threw a barbecue just like old times. Vince manned the grill while Mia and Leon's girlfriend of a few months, Lisa, cooked the side dishes. Jesse was setting the table when a grave rumbling sound started coming from the front of the house._

_Leon, Vince, and Jesse decided to check it out. There was a new car parked in front of the house._

_The rumbling came from a gray Plymouth Roadrunner that was parked in the driveway. _

_Before they got out, Leon, Vince, and Jesse approached the car._

"_Yo can we help you?" Vince asked, standing his ground in front of the home._

_That's when Dom stepped out of the Roadrunner. He didn't look different at all. Sure, he had a little fuzz growing on his face, but other than that, he was still Dom._

"_Sup?" he asked with a smile. Jesse wanted to tackle him. To pound that smile right off of his face. But he kept my anger under control._

"_What are you doing here?" Leon asked, his voice bitter. The smile left Dom's face. _What did he expect? They weren't going to welcome him with open arms.

"_I do live here. Last I checked, this was my house," he smirked, grabbing his bag from the trunk._

"_Sorry you're misunderstood, but this isn't your house. This is our home," Jesse replied. By now, Mia and the rest of the party-goers had appeared around front. She looked at her brother with so much hatred in her eyes, it made him flinch._

"_Mia, what's going on? Why are they acting like this?" Dom asked carelessly._

"_Because this isn't your home anymore, Dominic. This is ours. We pay the mortgage on it, we buy food for it, and we sleep in it every night. This is our place," Mia replied, standing up to her brother for the first time._

_Dom looked at her, eyes empty and painless._

"_Daddy, what's going on?" a voice was heard coming from the car. Mia gasped, eyes watering at what the voice called Dom. Dom rolled his eyes, letting out a deep breath. Dom walked around to the car, half of his body disappearing in the passenger side. He came back around, this time he wasn't alone._

"_Who's that?" Mia asked, looking at the small boy._

"_This is Koy. Koy, this is your Aunt Mia I told you about. That's Uncle Vince, Uncle Leon, and Uncle Jesse" Dom's voice said to the boy. He looked up at them with a bright smile. _

_He looked just like his father. Tan complexion, wide smile, dark eyes. His features looked to be more Japanese than Italian._

"_So what, did you just up and forget about Letty?" Jesse finally spoke. _

"_Koy, wait for me in the car," Dom pushed him slightly. Koy jumped in the driver seat._

"_What's with the animosity? I moved on from Letty, and we all know she's moved on too. Where is she anyways?" Dom asked, looking behind his old friends._

_Jesse's face was growing warm with anger. He couldn't control myself anymore. He ran to the big man, and with all his might, he knocked him down to the ground. Jess crawled on top of him, drilling his fist into Dom's jaw repeatedly._

"_Jesse, come on bro. He's not worth it dawg," Leon pulled him off of the bigger man. Dom stood back up, rubbing his sore jaw._

"_She's gone you bastard! And it's your fault! Because you were self-centered and a fucking coward, she ran too!" Jesse yelled to him, ready to go for round two. Just as he did, Leon grabbed him, carrying him back around the house._

"_Koy, let's go," Dom nodded to the house. Vince stepped in front of Dom, both fists clenched ready for battle. Dom's eyes drifted to the scar that wrapped around Vince's right arm. He looked back in Vince's eyes, fear absent. "Good to see you're all right."_

"_No thanks to you," Vince replied quick and bitterly. "And Jesse is just fine. Again, no thanks to you. Mia is in college. Leon, Jesse, and I are running the garage. Better than before, by the way. And Letty..." Vince paused angrily. He wanted to pounce on Dominic so bad. "Letty's gone. Couldn't take being without you. So she bailed. Learned from the best I guess."_

"_Vince, I had to get out of town. The Feds weren't gonna stop looking for me until I was either dead, or in jail. And neither of those things were gonna happen again. So instead of going to Mexico, where I knew they'd find me, I went to Texas for a while. Bounced around the country, ended up in Tokyo. Thought maybe I could find some old friends to help me out. Guess what? Those old friends are dead. Remember Han? Gone Vince."_

_Vince felt bad after hearing about Han. He had grown close with the man after meeting him in high school. He was apart of the Team before he and Dom had a falling out. Vince felt sad, but wasn't letting Dom off the hook that easily._

"_That's sad to hear. But you still ain't gettin' in this house," Vince stood his ground. Leon came back, with a few of the guys from the garage. Dom looked them up and down._

"_Taking in trash now huh?" Dom asked Vince. One of the men, Brick, stood 6'2", about 340 lbs. and looked to be twice the muscle definition as Dominic. The other guy, Reese, who was more of Leon's size, had long black hair and tattoos covering his arms. _

"_Excuse me?" Reese stepped up, ready to throw punches with the Italian. Brick always told him he had 'short man's syndrome' when he came to men twice his size. He was more anxious to fight more than anyone else._

"_What do you mean trash? These are our people Dom. They had it just as rough as us, just as hard. Grew up with nothing like you and I. So who's trash now?" Vince asked, taking up for his friends. He never saw this day coming. A day where he picked these guys whom he had only known for a few years, over his best friend from third grade._

_Dom looked in Vince's eyes, and saw he was a changed man. Saw that he stood up for what he knew was right. That he'd rather talk then throw fists, which wasn't normally Vince._

"_Vince, come on let him by," they all looked at Leon with shocked eyes. He hated Dominic more than anything, and here he was inviting him back into the home he ran from over a decade ago. Dom looked at Leon, his eyes silently thanking him._

_Dom went to take a step forward, but was stopped by Leon's hand._

"_Don't think for one second I'm letting you here because I forgive you. I'll never forgive you. If he wasn't here, you'd be sleepin' on the streets with the rest of the trash," Leon scowled at his one-time friend. "And just 'cause your back, doesn't mean you run shit. We work as a family around here, a real team. No one leads, no one overpowers anyone. And we damn sure don't take orders from you anymore," Leon spat, walking back around to the barbecue._

"_Welcome home," Mia said sarcastically, following Leon to the back._

* * *

Snapping out of my daze, I realized that I smoked my whole pack of cigarettes. Groaning, I stood and entered the house. I looked around, noticing how much a pig sty my place was. _Mia will clean it soon_, I thought. My heart stopped with pain as I figured out my mistake. _She's not here to clean up after you anymore_.

After grabbing a quick shower, I pulled on old work jeans and a band tee. Slipping on my beanie, I noticed my answering machine was blinking. I pressed the button to listen:

"_**Hey Jess. It's me. Just callin' to check on you. How's New York? Sorry I can't come visit bro, but Lisa is going all crazy with the wedding plans and..." he paused, "I'm stressed out. I can't believe I'm getting married dawg. Who would've thought? Oh yeah, Mia and Vince are renovating their house and they wanted to know if you could come up with a new security system? Mia wants to buy one but Vince wants to save money. You know how they are. Well, I gotta go. I'll call you in a few days. Love you Jess."**_

I smiled at the message from my close friend and saved the message. I played the second message:

"_**Hey Jess. Look, man, we want you to come back. I know you still hate me for what I did, but come on brother, it was almost two decades ago. You gotta let it go sometime. You're right, I was a coward. But I was scared Jesse. And to be honest, I was ashamed. I couldn't keep things together like I thought I could. Shit fell apart around me because I got big-headed. I lost everyone Kid and I can't lose you too. I told your dad I'd look after you until he got out, and I tried. I just got caught up with everything around me. Come back Jess, Koy misses you."**_

_How the hell did he get my number? _The message ended, and my fists were now tightly balled up. I couldn't help the rage that coursed through my body just at hearing that gravely voice. The truth was: I forgave Dom. Years ago, it began to wear on me. I was still mad that I couldn't forget what he did. I looked up to him like a father figure, and he was doing everything right. I mean, yeah most of it was illegal, but he always showed determination and control with everything he did.

It was just something about the way he ran from home. From everyone who depended on him. From the family that had his back since day one. From me. I might have forgiven him, but I'll never forget.

* * *

I was swamped with work at Swanson's. Working there was a lot different than working in Toretto's shop. Hell, I actually had to think a little about the cars that came in. It was rare for an import/tuner to roll in here, but when it did, I was the first to jump on the job. It was a challenge, and the money wasn't half bad, so I wasn't complaining.

I was sitting in the driver seat of a Jeep Wrangler when I heard Rylan's voice roaring from the other side of the garage.

"Why don't you kiss my ass?!" she yelled to Jeff, who seemed to be picking on her. His face was red and his body was racking with laughter. She didn't seem to be happy and if she was who I thought she was, this wouldn't end well at all.

"Come on Tyler. There's no fucking way that your mom used to be a street racer. She's too .. girly. Ain't no way 'The Mrs. Parker' was a street racing mechanic. No fucking way," he went on, laughing with a group of guys standing around. I didn't like the way he was talking to her and I could tell it was only rilling her up more.

"Was I talking to you anyways? Why don't you take your nosy ass over there and play grab-ass with the rest of them? You seem like the kind of guy who would _really_ enjoy that," she spat viciously, turning back to her friend. Jeff's face now changed to embarrassment as his friends laughed at him. I knew that look and he didn't seem like the type of guy to take being insulted lightly. I decided it was time for me to step in.

Just as Jeff was closing the distance between he and Rylan, I approached them.

"Say, why don't you leave the little lady alone? She ain't bullshittin' about what she's saying. And trust me, I know that for a fact," I stood up tall, finally proud of myself. After getting out the hospital, I hit the gym and started packing on some muscle. Now I wasn't afraid of anyone or anything.

Jeff backed off a little, his eyes still in disbelief.

"How's that? You're a newbie here, you don't know shit," Jeff replied, a crowd now growing around them.

"Her mom, 'The Mrs. Parker', used to go by the name Letty. We both were on the same street racing team. Greatest fucking team to hit southern LA. Dominic Toretto, our team leader, was the king of those streets..." Jeff looked dumbfounded, but remained quiet. "Now who don't know shit?"

"Whatever it is you ladies are whining about, I'm losing money. Get back to work," Swanson yelled out of his office. I gave Jeff one last menacing look, then stalked back over to the Jeep.

_Hours later..._

I was so head-deep inside the engine of a Camaro that I barely noticed Rylan standing behind me. She didn't speak, but I could see her staring at me with question.

"What is it?" I asked, not bothering to remove myself from the hood.

"Was she any good?" I focused my eyes on hers. "At racing, was she any good?"

I couldn't help but smile. I pictured all those runs she had at Race Wars, how she smoked every competitor, man or woman. "She wasn't the Queen of the Streets just cause of Dom. Your mom had one helluva heavy foot and fiery attitude," Rylan smiled for the first time since I've met her, and it made me smile. She was just as pretty as Letty.

"Wow. I just can't see my her like that. I remember when I was little, she was the meanest woman ever. Not to me, but to my dad and his ex-wife. She was strong and very independent. But since she married Ryan, she's changed a lot. He's not very good to her, ya know," but the tone of her voice I could tell it was a lot worse then how she explained.

"Ryan your dad?"

"I thought so. Just found out that Dom's my real father," my face paled at the confession. _Did Dom know? Did Mia?_

"Wow. How are you taking that?"

"I feel like it's a lose, lose. Both of 'em were jerks to her. She'd be better off alone if you ask me," she shrugged, walking over to sit in the Camaro. I looked at her, seeing features of Dom and Letty into her. She was truly a beautiful girl. Leon and I always joked that they'd have the most beautiful baby, mostly 'cause of Dom's good looks. Who knew it would be the truth.

My thought made me laugh out loud. "What are you laughing at?" she asked, her brows furrowing.

"Just thinking how those crazy ass people made such a cute kid," I laughed again, this time, Rylan joined me. "Aw, look at that. The devil does smile," I joked, sticking my head back into the Camaro. I was supposed to be fixing the fan belt but I couldn't keep my eyes off the beautiful engine.

"Sometimes," she replied. We enjoyed the silence for a while, before she started again, "Do you think she'll ever go back?"

I thought for a second. I never anticipated seeing Letty again, she I didn't think about what would happen when she and Dom came back, if they came back.

"Who knows. Only one way to find out," I took a deep breath and pulled out my cell. Dialing a familiar number, I stuck the phone to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Mia...I need you to do me a big favor."


	7. The Phone Call

**Thanks for the reviews.**

**P.S. Early and long update. Contrary to popular belief, I actually put a lot of thought into this chapter and it is my favorite so far. So enjoy!**

**Chapter Seven**

(Letty)

I woke with toned arms wrapped around my waist. I smiled as Ryan kissed my neck, but fell back to sleep instantly. I moved closer to him, enjoying the warmth of his embrace. Waking up with Ryan was always my favorite part of the day. Probably 'cause it was the safest part of my day.

After lying there for about a half an hour thinking, I managed to creep out of bed without waking him. I tiptoed to the bathroom for a shower. I stripped down and started the shower. I looked through the medicine cabinet for an aspirin, the fighting from the night before was finally wearing on me. Closing the mirror, I couldn't look away.

My eyes were so empty. So dark and empty. Before, when I looked in the mirror, I almost flinched at the anger and hostility in them. Of course that changed when I fell in love with Dominic. He made them twinkle in a way I never knew they could. He made them shine with happiness. Even when I knew in the back of my mind he was a dog, dammit he still made me smile.

I looked at the rest of my face, noticing the inch-long scar that ran from the corner of my eye down. Compliments of Ryan and his class-ring from high school three years ago. My lips used to be soft and pink, now they were rough and bruised. _Nothing a little lip-gloss couldn't fix, I guess_.

_You have the sexiest lips I've ever seen..._

Those were _his_ words every argument. That was _his_ way of getting back in my good graces.

I shook off old thoughts and climbed in the shower, the hot water instantly warming my body. I winced as the hot water burned at the bruises on my back. I gritted my teeth in pain as the water dropped me to my knees. As my body continued aching from the pain I received for so many years, something happened in my brain. It was like my whole life flashed in my head. Everything that ever happened was right there; meeting the Torettos, my first time with Dom, my first adrenaline rush in a race, the first truck heist, the last truck heist, the night I left LA, giving birth to Rylan, and the first time Ryan hit me. Seeing Ryan's hand come at me was the last thing I remembered before blacking out.

"Arletta? Arletta, baby, wake up," I barely heard Ryan screaming my name. I could barely hear anything. I just knew that I was freezing wet. I felt lighter as Ryan lifted me from the water and carried me out of the bathroom. He laid me down in the bed and covered me with a towel.

"What happened?" I asked him, my teeth chattering.

"I don't know. I guess you passed out in the shower. You were in there for a while. Are you okay?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed near me. Hearing his voice, I had the flashbacks again. But this time, I didn't pass out. I just felt different. Everything felt ... normal.

"I'm fine, Mom," I replied nastily, grabbing the towel and wrapping myself up. He looked at me strangely, then stood from the bed. He went to fix his tie on his neck as I went through my underwear drawer for something to put on.

"How old am I?" I asked sarcastically as I looked at the granny-panties in my drawer.

"Um, Arletta, you always wear those. Remember, we talked about it. We agreed that those 'thongs' are not attractive," Ryan said, his voice disgusted. I looked at him like he was crazy.

"First of all, those 'thongs' are comfortable. Who the hell are you to agree that those aren't attractive? You don't have to wear them," by now, he was looking at me like I had lost my mind, "and two, don't call me Arletta. Sounds like an old lady name. Letty works just fine."

"Look, I don't know what's gotten into you this morning, but I hope it's changed by the time I get home," he warned, pulling his beige blazer over his white button up. I rolled my eyes as he grabbed his suitcase and left.

"Ugh, looks like I have to go shopping."

* * *

(No POV)

Letty was sitting on the sofa with Rylan, playing some racing game on the XBOX when the phone began ringing.

"Get it mom!" Rylan laughed as she and her mother raced for the finish line.

"You get it Ry!" Letty replied, trying to pick up her third win.

Rylan laughed, dropping her remote and grabbing the phone.

"Hello?"

"Um, is Letty around?" Rylan furrowed her brows at the woman's voice on the other line. She sounded intense and nervous. And she called her mother 'Letty', a name that few people in New York knew her by. She didn't have friends, so Rylan wondered who it was who could've been calling.

"It's for you," she said, grabbing her controller.

Letty sighed and picked up the phone, sticking it between her shoulder and ear and going back to the game.

"Hello?'

"Letty ... it's Mia."

There was silence on the line as Letty dropped the remote controller to the floor. Her face paled and her heart pounded within her chest. Could it really be Mia? The person she left so long ago without a goodbye, or a heads up? She hoped not.

"Mia Toretto?" Letty asked, her eyes watering. _Of course Mia Toretto, what other Mia do you know? _Rylan noticed her mother's reaction to the person on the other line and turned off the game. She had never seen her mother so afraid and unsure in her life.

"How ya livin' girl?" Mia was trying to control her urge to bawl her eyes out at hearing her old friend's voice.

A tear did fall from Letty's eye at the old insider between the two friends.

"My god Mia!" Letty yelled, unable to control her emotions. At that moment, Mia shared the scream with her, receiving angry looks from Vince.

"Cool it Mia," he warned her.

"My god Let, it's been so long," Mia cooed, her hand over her mouth in disbelief.

"I know Mi. Almost twenty years," Letty replied, her heart still fluttering.

Rylan smiled. She knew who was on the phone now. She remembered that phone call Jesse made yesterday at the garage. He said he knew it would get Letty thinking about her past again, if anything. He said that Letty couldn't turn away from Mia. She was charming and was Letty's best friend, and Letty never could say no to her. She excused herself from the conversation. She knew she had some packing to do.

"How are you Letty? I mean are you well? Are you seeing someone? Oh my god, are you married? Do you have any kids? Do you work at a garage? Letty dammit answer me!" Letty could barely sound out the answers to the questions Mia was tossing at her so quickly.

"Put it on speaker Mi," Vince fought with her. She rolled her eyes but did as he said.

"Yes Mia, I'm fine. And Yes, I'm married. Yes, I have kids. No I don't work at a garage," Letty laughed at Mia's hyperactive attitude. "What about you? Ever find the Buster?"

"Nope, but I found something a lot better," Mia smiled at her husband.

"Well..." Letty trailed off.

"Hey Let," Vince's deep voice greeted her with a smile. Letty was happy to hear his voice, but when she put two and two together, she was ecstatic. "Oh hell no, Mia are you telling me you and Vince..." she trailed off again.

"Yep. A few years after you left I realized that everything I was looking for was in him. And guess what? I'm six months pregnant!" Mia and Letty shared yet another shout of joy. "Well what about you? How long have you been married?"

"For about sixteen years now," Letty wished she had more good things to say about it. Instead, she just let the subject drop. "And I have three kids, one of whom is my step-daughter."

"Wow. Look, Let, this is all too much for me to do over the phone. How about we come visit you?"

Letty considered the option, hell, at first it sounded like a great plan. But she knew she couldn't have Vince and Ryan in the same house together. Vince would be leaving the same night off to prison for life after killing him.

"Actually, that's not a great idea. Why don't you give us a few weeks and we'll come down?"

"Well, sure Let."

"Wait, Mia, how'd you get my number?" Letty never called L.A after she left, and she was sure they hadn't found her. So how did Mia know how to reach her?

"Jesse. He called yesterday and told us he found you. Though he didn't sound too happy about it. He wasn't very happy how you just left without notice. No one was."

Letty knew that was coming. She knew it was only a matter of time before her disappearing act came into the conversation.

"I know Mia. But I was miserable and I was sick of waiting around for something that was obviously never coming back. I felt like I couldn't go on living there without him. Your brother was my everything and I felt like I was nothing without him. So I wanted to start over," Letty admitted, trying to control the tears that wanted to fall for Dominic again.

"He misses you, you know."

"He's back? He came back?" Letty was surprised at the revelation. She didn't think he would ever return.

"Yeah Let, he came back. Three years ago he showed up. Said he bounced around until he landed in Tokyo."

"Is he seeing anyone?" Letty couldn't stop the words from coming out her mouth. By now, she knew Mia was smirking like she did the day she realized Letty was in love with Dom. It was an 'I told you so' smirk.

"Nope. It's just him and Koy at the old place. Says he's too old to go looking for a woman."

"Koy?"

"Koy Anton Toretto, his son."

Letty felt her heart shatter into pieces all over again.

* * *

Over in L.A...

Vince left the home he shared with Mia and drove the two blocks over to the Toretto house. Pulling up in front, he noticed the Roadrunner was in the driveway, which meant Dom and Koy were home. Stepping into the home, Vince noticed Dominic sitting on the sofa, beer in hand, watching the tv.

"Sup brother," Vince nodded, taking a seat on the recliner.

"Hey V," Dom replied, not deterring his attention from the Home Renovations program he was watching.

Vince sat watching Dom watch the show for five minutes, thinking how pitiful his friend had become. When he came back from Tokyo, he looked normal and seemed like he had everything already thought out. That was just his style. Dom was always two steps ahead of everyone and did everything in his order. He always did say 'my way, no highway option'. He used to be so put together. _Now look at him._

During the first few months of his return, the Team pretty much alienated Dom from the group. His opinion was rarely taken and he wasn't as powerful as he used to be. No one followed his rules, and when they got back into the racing scene, he didn't lead the 'V' formation, nor was he the only one to race. He and the new guys in the shop butted heads ever so often, but eventually they began to get along. Dom faced the fact that he made a huge mistake when he turned his back on them. Now he was paying for it, in more ways then one.

"Guess what?" V started, not really catching Dom's attention. "We found her."

Dominic looked at Vince with so much intensity that he almost regretted bringing it up. Dom didn't bother asking who. He already knew who _she_ was. Dom faced the television again, his face blank.

"How is she?" he asked, staring off into space. He pretended that he didn't care, but Vince could see right through it.

He wanted to kill himself for admitting that he still loved Letty. Even after leaving her with no intentions on continuing their relationship, he still cared for her dearly. He wasn't surprised to hear that Letty had when he hadn't returned. He hadn't expected her to stay around much longer, not after everything that had went down. He knew they were over way before that last heist, but the fact that neither of them wanted to admit it forced them to try to work it out. While in Tokyo, he made the mistake in getting involved with Koy's mom, who was a young racer chaser who wasn't ready to grow up. Dom asked her in a less civilized way to sign the custody papers and get the hell out of his and Koy's lives. Koy was only two when she bolted and Dom was happy. He knew every child needed his mother, but he was happy she was gone before he or Koy got too attached.

"Married with children."

Dom wasn't taken back that she was married, more so that she had children. Letty and Dom never talked about having kids together, so he didn't know that she was the motherly type. He wondered absentmindedly how she would be as a mother, then found himself smiling about the thought. The fiery, overly-independent, spitfire Latina who never retracted her claws as a mother? The thought was quite hilarious to him.

"Where is she?" Dom asked, walking to get two fresh beers. Handing one to Vince, he took his seat back on the couch.

"New York. Jesse found her," Dom looked at Vince with sad eyes. He missed Jesse dearly and wished the Kid would forgive him already. Jesse got fed up with the way Dom was just fitting back into the picture so easily, so he decided it was time for him to move on. Packed up his things a year ago and left the clan, on a journey of his own. How he ended up with New York, none of them knew.

Before Dom could respond, the clanking of shoes on the stairs began.

"Dad, I gotta ask you something-" Koy started, a hopeful smile on his face.

"No, Koy, you aren't getting a car. Get lost," Dom answered his question, eyes still on Vince. Koy mumbled his frustrations under his breath as the eleven year-old trekked back upstairs to his room. Vince laughed at the boy who grew so much since he and Dom arrived five years ago. He was only six years old and as tiny as could be compared to Dom. His hair was short but black and his eyes mirrored Dom's. Now he was older and his hair was long and curly, the way Dom's used to be when he was that age.

"She's coming to visit in a few weeks. She kinda freaked when Mia asked if we could come there. I dunno, I got a weird feelin' about it," Vince said, taking a gulp of his cool brew. Dom knew better than to second-guess Vince's gut feelings.

"I guess we'll check it out when she gets here. Come on, we gotta go meet with Leon to see if he has this church scheduled for the wedding. You know the goof can't do anything alone," Dom laughed, calling his son from his room.

* * *

(Rylan)

I was actually happy that everyone was home because it got Mom off my back. Though she was extremely happy to hear from her old friends, she didn't like the fact that I gave out our phone number to people I didn't know. I told her it was a surprise, something to lift her spirits.

Robbie and I were watching TV in the living room while Stacy cleaned the kitchen.

"Shouldn't it be starting right now?" Robbie asked, catching us both off guard.

"What are you talking about Rob?" I asked, not taking my eyes off the movie we were watching.

"Mommy and Dad. Aren't they supposed to start yelling?" Robbie asked, his eyes innocent. I felt bad that he had to be thrown in the middle of our parent's rocky relationship. There wasn't much we could do but to keep him out of it as much as possible.

I laughed and ruffled his dark hair, "You packed like I told you too right?" He nodded. "Well than you have nothing to worry about. Watch the movie."

About an hour later, Robbie was asleep and Stacy and I were watching some reality show. I wasn't interested, but she begged me to stay up and watch it with her, and I enjoyed when she wanted to spend quality time together. I started to doze off on the show when I heard glass shatter from upstairs. That's when it started.

"Stay here with Robbie," I ordered as I bolted up the stairs and to my room. I reached under my bed and grabbed my .9mm gun. I ran to my parents room as the bickering grew louder.

Bursting threw the door, I saw the broken glass on the floor near the door. Thankfully, I had shoes on my feet. My mother was on one side of the room, her lip bleeding. Ryan was on the other side, his face red and fuming.

"Get out Rylan! You're mother is gonna learn so respect!" Ryan yelled, taking his belt off his pants.

"Come on you bastard! I dare you!" she replied, standing her ground. Even in the tense moment, I was proud of my mother for standing up for herself. Something was definitely different about her today.

He charged at her with the belt. My mom sidestepped him quickly, drilling a hard left hook into his jaw, knocking him to the ground.

"Where the _hell_ did you learn that?" I asked, in amazement. I had never seen her do anything like that before!

My dad lay cradling his face in mere surprise. I guess he hadn't anticipated her hitting back. Mom looked at me with a smile, but didn't let her guard down. Ryan pulled out his cell phone and held it up to her.

"I'm calling the police!" he yelled, beginning to dial the numbers.

"Try it. I got enough shit on you to put you away for life," Mom reached underneath the mattress and pulled out a box. She dumped it over Ryan, pictures of bruises and cuts from her body.

"You took pictures," I asked with a smile.

"Duh," Letty smirked, despite the situation. I knew that look in my father's eyes. He was angry. He was more than angry. He was livid. His face was red and his eyes were bulging out of his head. He wasn't going to let that down.

In an instant, Ryan charged at my mother, tackling her to the ground. His hands were wrapped around her throat tight and she was struggling for air. I stood frozen, unsure what to do. At that moment, I remembered the gun. I cocked it back swiftly, pointing it to the back of his head.

"If you were smart, you'd move," I said grimly, no sense of fear in my body.


	8. Packages

**Thanks for the reviews. I was excited to see everyone enjoyed that chapter. Hopefully you'll continue reading and giving me great reviews. And if you are reading and not reviewing, shame-shame! :)**

**P.S: Sorry for the wait. Writers block got the best of me.**

**Chapter Eight**

(No POV)

In an instant, Ryan charged at Letty, tackling her to the ground. His hands were wrapped around her throat tight and she was struggling for air. Rylan stood frozen, unsure what to do. At that moment, she remembered the gun. She cocked it back swiftly, pointing it to the back of his head.

"If you were smart, you'd move," she said grimly, no sense of fear in her body. If she wasn't about to die from suffocation, Letty wanted to smile. She saw so much of Dom standing right there in front of her that it scared her.

Ryan's body froze, but he didn't release his grip on Letty's neck. He looked at at Rylan, seeing the pure hatred in her eyes. He let go of Letty's neck and backed away from her slowly.

"What, you're a gangster now? You're nothing, you little punk. Always a little shit, always running to Mommy. Never could stand up for yourself. Look at you, you're trash just like her," he pointed to Letty, standing to his feet.

Rylan kept the gun trained on him. She finally let her eyes water. She never let anything her father say or do to her before get to her emotionally. But it was the carelessness and the disgust in his eyes that made her feel like nothing.

"I don't care what you say about me, but when you're talking about her, watch your mouth," Rylan nodded to Letty. "Mom, get packed now. Get everything you need, everything you wanna take. I'm getting us out of here," Rylan said, never taking her eyes off Ryan. Rylan was surprised that Letty did as she was told without a fight. She walked to the closet, yanking everything out. Ryan had the audacity to sit on the bed, kicking his feet up.

"So now what, you gonna take everyone away? And then what? Where you gonna go? You don't realize, you guys have nothing without me. You'll come crawling back in no time," Ryan's voice finally irked Rylan's nerves to the end.

"You are one sick motherfucker. Get up," she spat venomously. When Ryan didn't budge, Rylan took a deep breath and fired a shot off into the ceiling above him, plaster falling on him. "I didn't stutter."

_Damn Stace, you couldn't have picked a better time to show up, huh?_ Rylan thought sarcastically, noticing her sister at the door.

"Rylan, what the hell are you doing?" Stace asked, panic in her voice.

Ryan jumped off of the bed, his hands in the air. "What do you want? What, you want money?" he pulled out a bundle of cash and tossed the roll at Rylan's feet. "There's money."

"I don't want your money," she kicked it back at him. "I just have one question. "Why'd you hurt Stace? Why would you do that to her?"

Letty looked between Rylan and Ryan, merely confused. Stacy dropped her head, shame falling upon her.

Rylan hesitated for a second, truly afraid of Letty's reaction once the bombshell was dropping on her.

Sighing, he started, "Well damn, I figured since she was giving it up to everyone else, I wanted get something a little new," he replied, as if it was that simple.

Rylan's rage got the best of her. She charged at Ryan, knocking him to the ground. She began pounding his face, hitting every available space on him. Letty held Stacy back as she let Rylan take out her anger on her father. Rylan only saw red as Ryan begged for her to stop the beating. Letty and Stacy finally pulled Rylan off of him before she killed him. Stacy winced at the blood that covered her father's face. His right eye was swollen shut and the left was well on it's way. Blood poured down his lip and his right cheek was purple.

Just at seeing his blood made Rylan want more, but she had to fight the urge to pounce again.

"Stace, get Mom's things and take her downstairs. Call Cece and tell her to get Jeff and Jesse and get the cars. Tell her to hurry," Rylan wiped the blood that spewed on her face. "Grab those," Ry pointed to the pictures that covered the floor. Just as the three were about to leave the room, Letty turned to her husband.

"The divorce papers will be in the mail," Letty lazily dropped her wedding rings on the floor.

The three left the room quickly, Rylan going to her room while Stace and Letty ran down the stairs. Rylan grabbed her duffel bag and sat it by the door. She grabbed a small tote bag and grabbed smaller things that she hadn't packed. She left everything she could live without, like jewelry from her father. She was just leaving when she reached behind her door and grabbed her most prized possession: her poster of a black '76 Firebird with the red bird sprawled across the hood. She rolled it up and stuck it under her arm.

Rylan turned around quickly, only to be met with her father's crying eyes. Once again, she pointed the gun to his head, causing him to flinch a little.

"Be reasonable here Ry. You can't just take away everything. I love you guys. I know I have a problem, I know I'm messed up. But I can fix it. I can fix us," he pleaded, the dry blood on his face streaking with his tears.

"We weren't broken, you were," Rylan corrected, moving slowly out of the room. Ryan, having no choice but to move, backed out of the room slowly.

"You're right. I can make it better though. I'll make us better. We go to counseling and do things as a family," Ryan continued.

"You fucked up too bad. You turned my mother into your personal punching bag and my sister into your fucking slave. But that stops today. You'll be lucky if you can get ass from downtown from now on. You are one pathetic bastard," Rylan insulted the man who raised her. The man who tucked her in at night and who taught her to ride a bike. He had finally met his match; his step-daughter.

"Ry, there here!" Stacy yelled from the stairs.

"Call the cops all you want. But remember, you brought this on yourself. You fucked up!" Rylan screamed, finally escaping past her father and down the stairs.

* * *

(Letty)

I stood on the front lawn holding Robbie, still in a state of shock. The things that had just taken placed were still racing through my mind. I barely noticed a gang of cars pulling up into the driveway. My eyes kept falling onto Stacy, who stood strong next to her sister. _All this time, I was too blind to see_. Though Stacy wasn't my birth child, I had raised her since she was only a baby and I loved her just as much as I did Rylan and Robbie.

"Mom, it's okay. I don't blame you. You didn't know," I didn't even recognize Stacy was standing in front of me until I felt her warm hands on my face. I pulled her into a hug, holding her as tight as I could.

"Ma, it's time to go," Rylan's voice caught my attention. She was standing next to Jesse, Cece, and another man. There were luxury cars all over the lawn and Jesse's little Jetta in the background. To me, that car always was the underdog and it was still a beauty.

His rough voice caught me off guard, "You look like shit," he said with a loving smile. Those were the exact words I said to him the first time I visited him in the hospital. I couldn't control it any longer; I ran to him, bawling like a baby. Jesse caught me in mid-air and spun me around.

"I'm so sorry I left Jess. I couldn't take the stress of everything that was going on. And Dominic leaving and not coming back-" I ranted to my long-lost friend.

"We don't have time babydoll. We gotta go," Jesse said. "Rylan, what's the situation?"

"Stace, you coming?" Rylan looked to her sister. I looked back up at the house, seeing my soon-to-be ex-husband standing in the window weeping. I didn't feel one ounce of sympathy for him. He deserved everything he was getting.

"I can't turn my back on you guys. I'll have the university transfer my things to a college nearby there," she said with so much confidence in her voice. How stupid was I? I forgot all about Stacy's scholarship to the University of Miami (A/N: I have no idea if that's a real university or not, by the way). She wanted so badly to become a lawyer, just like her father.

"All right. Mom, are you okay to drive?" Rylan asked me. I smiled at her. The way she took action and took control of the situation was amazing. _Just like your old man._

"As long as I get that Ferrari," I replied, taking in the beautiful black Ferrari with the top down. The group of people started laughing out loud. Sirens in the far distance brought everyone to silence.

"Ok we need to get out of here. I bet nosy-ass Mrs. Jenkins called the cops. Mom, take the Ferrari. Stacy and Robbie can take the Range Rover and I'll take the Mustang," Rylan directed. I didn't even want to know how she got these cars, but I really hoped it didn't come back to bite me in the ass for not asking.

"I wanna ride in that white one," Robbie's voice piped up. He was pointing to Jesse's car.

"That's cool, Little Man," Jesse grabbed Robbie's suitcases and tossed them in his trunk. I smiled.

"You going too?" I asked him slyly.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world. Mia would kill me if I didn't bring you back."

Rylan and Cece were hugging each other as the sirens grew louder. I felt bad for pulling her away from her best friend. The only friend Rylan had and trusted with her life. I grew to love the bubbly, outgoing, and extremely loud Cece Swanson myself. She always had a bed in our home.

"Then it's settled. Ready for this, Mom?" Rylan asked, standing half-way in the door of the Mustang.

"Do I have a choice?" Letty smirked her trademark smile as she jumped into the Ferrari.

* * *

Over in L.A...

Dom was lying in bed, finally getting to sleep after tossing and turning for two hours. It had been a long day and he had a migraine from Koy pestering him about a car. After helping Leon close the deal on the church for the wedding, he and the boys kicked back with a few beers. Thankfully Mia, Lisa, and Brick's girlfriend Petra went shopping for the baby.

For Dom, it was a regular day. Though he couldn't keep his mind off of the news he received that day: _she_ was coming back. She was coming home.

Dom's jaws were sore from smiling all day. The thought of seeing _her_ again thrilled him.

Then again, it scared the hell out of him.

He knew Letty and knew she would react in either two ways. Either, she would come at him with her beloved switchblade, ready to gut him like the coward he was. Or she would come back ... happy.

She could come back with her children and her husband and completely ignore Dom all together. That was something Dom didn't know if he could accept. He never wanted her to move on, never wanted her to leave and get married and have children with someone else. He was supposed to be the father her of babies. He didn't want to see someone else holding her or kissing her. He damn sure didn't want to think about someone else making love to her.

He was almost positive he'd rather her cut him with her blade then come back and not love him.

Dom's cell phone began to ring, which went on deaf ears for a few minutes. Dom groaned after hearing the annoying ringer buzzing behind him. He tossed his arm over his body, grabbing the device off of the table.

"Do you have a death wish?" Dom's voice growled into the phone, even more husky because of sleep, or the lack there of.

"What's up Dominic?" a voice said with humor.

"Jess?" Dom rubbed the sleep from his eyes, "Jesse?!" Dom exclaimed, "What's up Lil Bro?" Dom was surprised to hear from Jesse, but was even more surprised at how civil he sounded.

"Nothing, just wanted to call and tell you I'm on my way," he responded vaguely.

"How come? I thought you were gone for good?"

"You think I can stay away from L.A for good? That's my safe haven Dom. Plus, I'm delivering a few packages," Jesse replied, smiling in the rear-view mirror at Letty's Ferrari.

Dom sat up, eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean you're delivering packages? What kind of packages?" Dom asked skeptically.

"Calm down D. You'll see when I get there. I'll be there in about three days. With the rate we're going, maybe sooner. Gotta go Dom, I'll pulling into a motel. I'll call when I'm close to home."

Dom and Jesse said there goodbyes and hung up. Dom sat up puzzled for a few more minutes, curious as to what Jesse could be bringing back to Los Angeles? Dominic gave up thinking and decided to go back to bed.

**-x-**

"Dad, get up!" Koy yelled, punching Dominic's bare arm again. He had been standing there for five minutes trying to wake his father up. He was supposed to take Mia to her doctor's appointment today while Vince was out of town on business. He was meeting with more executives to get DT Automechanics more sponsors around the West.

"Dad, Aunt Mia is going to kill you!" Koy yelled as loud as he could. Dom finally stirred, turning over to face his son.

"What?" he asked sleepily. He looked over at the clock, noticing it was 12:53, two hours before Mia's doctor's appointment.

"Aunt Mia's doctor's appointment," was all Koy said before leaving the room, shaking his head as he lazy dad.

Dom jumped out of bed quickly, cursing under his breath. He grabbed clothes from the closet and ran to shower quickly.

A half an hour later, Dom was bounding down the stairs, fully dressed and ready to go. Koy was sitting on the sofa next to Max, his Jack Russell terrier, watching cartoons. Dom grabbed a water from the fridge and sat on the recliner across from them.

"Uncle Jesse's coming home," Dom said, remembering how close Koy and Jesse were. Even when Jesse hated Dominic, he couldn't ignore that cute little kid who wanted to be his friend.

"No way! You said he wasn't coming back," Koy jumped up with excitement.

"Well I didn't think he was. He called me last night," Dom said, remembering that Letty was supposed to be coming to town soon. Dom put two and two together finally, feeling like a bonehead that he hadn't realized the connection.

The package Jesse was delivering _was_ Letty. He was bringing her home.

"Koy, in a few days we're going to have some visitors. I want you to be on your best behavior. That means no fighting, no whining, and keep Max under control. Got it?" Dom told his son.

Koy rolled his eyes, "Yeah, sure. But who?"

"An old friend," was all Dom said before kissing his son and leaving the house. He jumped into his Roadrunner and made his way over to his sister's home.

Dom pulled into the driveway and got out. He leaned against his car as his sister waddled her way down the steps. He couldn't help but smile at how huge she had become at just six months pregnant. Just months ago he complained at how small and frail she looked. Now she was pregnant by his best friend and he couldn't be more happy for her.

At first, he tried his best to keep Vince away from Mia. He knew how Vince was with women and didn't want his baby sister to fall victim to Vince's games. But he knew Mia was smarter and knew what she was getting into when she fell for the bad boy. After returning from Tokyo to learn that Mia and Vince were now an item, Dom gave Vince the same warning he gave Brian: "break her heart, I'll break your neck". Vince made the same promise as Brian: "that ain't gonna happen".

And much to Dom's surprise, it hadn't happened. In fact, Vince pulled Mia out of her state of depression as she sulked over her missing cop boyfriend. Vince came in like the perfect gentleman and swept Mia off her feet. Dom was just happy that Mia was ultimately happy with the way her life was going. She had gotten into college and was a medical assistant at a nearby hospital. Mia and with a kid on the way, she was living her life just the way she explained to him when they were younger.

"No, it's okay Dom. I can carry my own bag to the car," Mia replied sarcastically, passing her dazed brother on her way to the passenger side. He smiled and walked around with her, opening the door and helping her in.

The hospital was about twenty minutes away, so they had a while to talk beforehand. Dom figured it was the perfect time to tell Mia about Jesse.

"So Jess called last night," Dom said vaguely.

"Really?" Mia replied, rubbing her hand over her bulging belly.

"Yeah. Letty's coming with him," Dom added, pretending he didn't care. On the inside though, his stomach was doing more flips than a gymnast.

Mia looked over at her brother, wondering how dumb he thought she was. She knew he was anxious for her to come back to town. It didn't take a genius to see that.

"And you're okay with that?" Mia asked.

"Do I have a choice? Why would I care, she's not my girl," Dom said the words through gritted teeth. The thought broke his heart.

"Come off it Dom. You do realize that I'm your little sister, right? I mean I can tell every little thing about you. I know you are going to be dying until the second Letty's in front of your eyes again. I also know that you still love her and wish you weren't such an idiot back then," Mia was so on point that it scared Dominic.

"Am I still that obvious?" Dom asked with a chuckle. Mia rolled her eyes, causing him to chuckle deeper. "It's been so long since I've seen her Mia. I don't even know what I'll say to her when I see her."

"How about apologizing for abandoning her?" Mia blamed her mood swings on her hormones.

"C'mon Mia, she knew the deal. We decided that if we couldn't pull off that last heist, that we would go to Baja until the shit blew over."

"Newsflash Dominic, you didn't go to Baja! You went to fucking Tokyo!" Mia yelled, her hormones making her hostile. "Dom, you don't understand. You were her everything. If you would've asked her to get on that damn truck she would've jumped up there, no questions asked. The only time she smiled was if you were around Dom. Don't you see that? Letty was the only woman who truly loved you. And you just left her in the dust."

Dom took everything Mia said to heart. He knew deep down inside she was right. Letty looked up to Dom since they were kids and fell in love with him when she was just eight. Dom took care of Letty and loved her dearly, but he didn't cherish her the way he should've.

"Fuck me! Do you think she's still mad at me?"

"Dom, I think that's an understatement."


	9. Doubled Excitement

**Thanks for the reviews. Sorry for the hiatus. Writers block and finals were to blame for this. But don't worry, hopefully I'll get this back on the road. Stay with me please!**

**Chapter Nine**

Rylan slept on edge that night. They were stopped just outside of Columbus, Ohio, in some run down motel. She and Stacy shared a bed while her mother and Robbie shared a bed. Jesse slept uncomfortably on the floor, but didn't complain. On her side of the bed, Rylan slept with the pistol underneath a pillow she clutched to her stomach.

Against her own will, Rylan began crying. She hated the way the night had turned out. She didn't want her mother to find out about Stacy and Ryan that way. She knew Stacy wanted to tell her herself. But Rylan couldn't help herself. She was so outraged at her father's carelessness. She couldn't get that smug smile at of her head. Her fist clenched the pillow harder as her body racked with sobs.

She knew her father wasn't stupid enough to follow them, but she had no idea if the cops were onto the hot cars. And it didn't help that she had a loaded unregistered pistol on her possession. _Just stay away from cops, keep moving and you'll be fine_, she told herself over and over again. Rylan cried herself to sleep that night, thank to get any at all.

-**x-**

Rylan was startled that morning by loud voices and engines. She looked around the room, noticing that she was the only one in the room. The door was wide open and voices were coming from outside. Rylan crawled out of bed, tucking the pistol in her waistband and pulled her tank top down over it.

"Why didn't you guys wake me? We gotta get going," she said sleepily, leaning against the door frame. Letty and Jesse had their heads under the hood of the Ferrari while Stacy sat with Robbie behind the wheel of the Mustang. Letty looked over at Rylan and smiled brightly.

"Well after your performance last night, figured you'd wanna sleep," Rylan smiled at her mother. "You did really well last night. You really did a good thing, no matter how bad you might feel about it. You took care of us. I appreciate you Ry," she hugged her daughter, trying to control the tears that pricked at her eyes.

"Guys, I don't wanna interrupt your moment, but I'm hungry," Jesse said aloud, a bright smile on his face. Rylan was really beginning to enjoy Jesse. She didn't like anyone, nor did she trust anyone outside of her family, but Jesse was growing on her.

"Sure. There's an IHOP a few miles from here," Rylan replied, shutting the door to the motel.

The group piled into their cars and got back on the road. A few miles later, they made it to a small city just outside of Columbus. They drove to IHOP, which brightly stood out in the dingy town. Locals watched in awe as the luxury rides pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. Rylan scolded a few girls who had their eye on Jesse. Of course he was in his mid-thirties, but he still had the baby face and pretty eyes to swoon any woman. Rylan wasn't interested in Jess in the slightest, but she knew skanks when she saw them.

After everyone was inside, Letty and Jesse got a booth to themselves. Letty knew Jesse had questions and demanded answers, but wasn't sure how to approach the situation.

"Spit it out, man," Letty said, sipping her coffee. Jesse felt nervous, but complied.

"Does Dom know about Rylan?" Letty nearly choked on her coffee at the question.

"How did you know?"

"I'm not dumb Let. Your husband's on every billboard in Manhattan. Ain't no way someone will believe that she's his kid," Jesse said, his voice a little louder than she wanted. Letty's scowl reprimanded him and he apologized.

"Sorry Let. I just don't understand how you couldn't see it."

"I saw it Jess. I've seen it since the day she was born. But I was so in love with Ryan, he was so good to me. And he adored Rylan. I didn't want break their hearts. Or mine again," Letty replied, tears blurring her vision. Jesse put his hand on Letty's, unsure of how to settle her. Letty wasn't one to get emotional, especially not around people. He only knew Letty to have two emotions: anger and contentment. She was only happy on rare occasions and even more rarely did she cry.

"Look Let. I know Dom was a dumbass and did a lot of things, but he does deserve to know about Rylan. She's his daughter, whether you like it or not. He deserves to know her. She's almost eighteen, so it's her decision whether she wants him in her life or not," Letty knew Jesse made a lot of sense, she just didn't want to admit it.

"Yeah," she sighed defeated. "Tell me about Koy," Jesse looked surprised, wondering how she knew about Dom's son. He thought for a second, then figured that Mia probably told her; she does love to talk.

"When Dom came back, he told us that he traveled all over, ending up in Tokyo. He was there for a few years actually, getting into drifting," Letty's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Team Toretto knew about the drifting world, but decided that it was pushing the limits of safety. _As if a quarter mile stretch didn't,_ she thought. "Anyways. He got in with this crew there, partied like we did. Met this young girl and a few months later, she was pregnant. She wanted to abort it, said she told him that she wasn't 'old enough to have children'. So after Koy was born, Dom took his son and dropped her."

Letty took all this in, surprised at how dumb Dom would be to get involved with a girl like that. "How old is he?"

"Should be about eleven now. I tell you Let, he's a cute kid. He's sweet, but has Dom's temper, ya know. Then again, I guess they all do," he smirked over his shoulder at Rylan.

(Vince)

I was lying in bed with Mia, trying to take in the news she had just given me.

"You have got to be kidding me. Twins? I mean, how did they not know?" I wanted to pull my hair out.

"Doc said he was hiding on the other side of his brother," Mia smiled, knowing she released the other half of her news.

"He? We're having boys?" My face lit up with the news. I always dreamed of how I would raise a son, knowing it would be far different from the way my father raised me. And the fact that we were having twins only doubled my excitement.

"Two baby boys," Mia smiled lovingly at me. I pulled her closer to me, taking in the scent of her shampoo; coconut. It was becoming my favorite scent.

"What are we gonna do about names?" I asked. I knew how Mia was; she would think of something totally ridiculous and with that big brown eyes, convince me that it was okay. She was always that way. "What about Adrian Jeremy Graciano?" Mia asked, flipping open a journal that she kept next to the bed. I always wondered what was in it.

"I like Adrian," I smiled brightly. I thought for the name for our other boy. "Gabrielle," I said with a smile. My mom always wanted another boy and wanted to name him Gabrielle, but my father was insistent on she not even think about more children.

"Aww baby I love that!" Mia cheered, kissing my cheek. "What about Gabrielle Kaye Graciano?" I gave her a smile and a nod, watching as she jotted down the notes.

She continued writing in her book as she spoke, "Dom tell you that Jesse and Letty are coming in in a few days?"

"No, he failed to mention that today. What's he think about it?" I asked, wondering how Dom was feeling at the moment. After he got back from Tokyo, I could tell by everything he did that he missed her like crazy. It was understandable, we all missed her. But Dom was inconsolable and we knew he needed her. But it has been years, so god only knows how things will turn out.

"He's anxious," Mia replied.

"You mean he's scared?" I corrected her.

"Terrified. I just hope she doesn't kill him right away," Mia laughed.

"Is her husband coming with?" I knew that would not go well. Dom was territorial and even if he and Letty weren't together, he still claimed her as his.

"He didn't say. I sure hope not."

**The next morning...**

Leon, Brick, Reese, Dom, and I were working hard in the garage the next day. More like Brick and Leon were goofing off while we watched with laughter. Mia and Lisa went to the caterer for the weeding. It still came as a shock that Leon was getting married. We used to be the players; picking up chaser after chaser, party after party. Now he was settling down with a good woman who loved him. And I, of course, got my woman all along.

"Quit dicking around you two," Dom said, shaking his head at our friends. "What are you so happy about?" I looked up after realizing he was talking to me. He had a smirk on his face, the same smirk he had the night he raced Spilner.

"We named the boys last night," I replied, not able to keep the shit-eating grin off my face. The men hollered, each throwing a congratulations my way. "Thanks. Yeah, so we have Adrien and Gabrielle. Man you guys don't understand the feeling. I mean Dom, you remembered how excited you were when Koy was born, just think, I have to be that excited ... doubled. It's an incredible feeling," I gushed about my unborn boys.

Dom smiled at me, but I could tell he wanted to change the topic.

"So Jesse called again. Says they are in Nevada, should be in tomorrow," he mentions subtly, keeping his eyes on the transmission he was working on.

"Yo, is that fine Latina girl Leon showed me coming with him? She's sexy as hell man," Reese, the Lady's Man, said out loud, much to mine and Leon's demise. Dom's eyes showed that if looks could kill, ol' Reesy would be six feet under right now.

"What's the problem Le? Come on dawg, you know she look good," he replied, receiving a smack upside the head from Brick.

"How 'bout you quit running your cakehole and get back to work?" Dom growled, clenching onto the wrench he was holding for dear life. I knew I had to distract him before he killed Reese.

"So have you asked Jess where they're gonna stay? Mia and I have-" before I could finish speaking, Dom's voice boomed.

"They're staying at the Fort," he replied, attention back on the transmission.

"You think Let will go for that?" Leon asked wearily. He knew Reese had put Dominic in a bad mood and he didn't want to be the victim of a beating. When Dom only gave him a hard look saying 'drop it', he held his hands up and went back to work. I took that look Dom was giving me, knowing he wanted me to shut up about Letty. I growled, but went back to work silently.

* * *

(No POV)

Letty and the gang were sitting in their hotel room somewhere near Las Vegas, bored to death. Letty had already talked to her lawyer and he was flying to LA in a few weeks so they could deal with the divorce situation. He told her that Ryan hadn't been into work since the night that everything went down, and it worried Letty. Ryan didn't miss work on any occasion. He was an extreme workaholic and hadn't taken a sick day in years. Letty wasn't sure what had happened, but she knew in her heart that he was still her husband and she did still love him. Even if he was a sick bastard who beat the shit out of her. She still found it in her heart to love him.

"Call around and see if you've heard anything. Send someone to check on him ... thank you very much Mrs. Jenkins," Letty hung up the phone. "I asked Mrs. Jenkins to send some folks over to see if he was okay. Hopefully he hasn't done anything stupid," she said aloud, more so to herself.

The group sat in silence, all clueless on what to say or do. They still had a day of travel and soon they'd be back in LA.

_Back on his turf_, Letty thought.

She was nervous. She didn't know what would happen when her and Dom met again after so many years apart. She didn't know if she'd hug him or slap him, or both. She didn't know if he'd look the same, or even if he would recognize her. She didn't know if he would welcome her back, or blow her off.

She didn't know if he would still love her, or have found someone else like she had.

She didn't know anything. And that scared the shit out of her.

"Letty, you wanna get out? Go for a drive?" Jesse asked, waving his hand in front of her face.

"Naw man, I better stay with them," Letty said sympathetically. "Maybe we'll stay go get a movie and order some pizza or something."

"Can I go?" Letty was surprised when Rylan had spoken. She didn't like going out back in NY unless it was with Cece.

"Um, I guess, if you want. Just don't be out too late, we have to be out of his in the morning," Letty kissed Rylan's cheek as she grabbed her jacket. Jesse tossed a smile back at Letty as he closed the door behind them.

Outside of the hotel, Jesse approached the Jetta, but stopped once he saw the Ferrari.

"You still have the keys to the Ferrari?" Jesse asked, his smile mischievous. Rylan tossed them to him with a smile of her own. He popped the suicide doors into the air and they jumped in, speeding out of the parking lot.

**-x-**

"Jess, man, where are we?" Rylan asked, looking around the small construction site that they were parked in. There were colorful cars all around, music blasting from every car, and scantily clad women prancing all over the place. The Ferrari definitely stood out in the sea of import street rides.

"We, my friend, are at a street race. How is it that you are Letty's daughter, the Queen of the Streets, and you don't know what a street race is?" Jesse asked with a sarcastic smile, parking the exotic ride next to a Supra.

Rylan got out the car in mere adoration at the cars that surrounded her. She watched in amazement as two rides races down a strip a couple hundred feet away. Jesse had to walk back and pull Rylan along because she was frozen while watching a fight break out.

"I've never been to a street race. I mean I've heard of 'em, but had no idea they were like this," she said, her eyebrows through the roof at the cars she was looking at.

"Shit you think this is something, wait 'til we hit LA."


	10. Addiction

**Thanks for the reviews. Sorry for the hiatus. Glad to see everyone's still with me. Sorry for the lack of talent in this one.**

**Chapter 10**

(Rylan)

I was barely listening to Jesse as he rattled off the many cars that were scattered all over the construction site. I was mentally counting the seconds until the sirens and red and blues came barreling our way. Not watching where I was going, I smacked dead into a stopped Jesse.

"Dude!" I yelled, holding my forehead. He didn't respond, at least not to me.

"Jared. Long time no see," Jesse's voice spoke. I moved around to see who he was talking to, and was instantly stunned. A tall, lean beautiful black man with pearly white teeth and bright brown eyes was standing in front of Jesse, arms crossed; he looked royally pissed.

"I thought I told you I didn't want to see you Cali boys around here again," Beautiful Man said, leaning casually against his ride. "Y'all cause too much trouble with my boys."

"Oh c'mon, J. You know you love when we come through town. We bring all the racers out when we're here," Jesse replied, oh-so-cockily. I hadn't seen this side of Jesse before, and it made me laugh. "Nothing to worry about, man. I'm the only one here," I huffed, nudging him in the side. "Oh yeah, and my girl right here. This is Rylan, she's part of the family," I felt my heart shutter at the smile Jesse gave me. Saying that I was part of the family and that smile of reassurance made me the happiest I had ever been.

"Hey there Lil' Lady," the man said, smiling brightly at me. I hadn't been significantly interested in guys, with all the shit going on in my home. But this man was gorgeous. I nervously smiled and nodded at him, thankful that someone interrupted the odd situation.

"I want a race," my eyes nearly popped out of my head at Jesse's order.

"No way man, next time," Jared laughed, waving Jesse off.

"Bro, come on. You know how I do it. I'll split you some of what I win. Whaddaya say?" Jesse asked.

"That sure huh?" he nodded. "Alright. I'll round up some of the guys. One race and your gone, got it?"

"Sure."

After Jared walked away, Jesse turned around to me, smiling brightly.

"What was that all about?" I asked, following Jesse to the car.

"Leon, Vince, and I used to come here a few years back and gamble. Afterwards we'd follow the party to these parts and race. After we started winning all the money, Jared banished us from his town," Jesse replied with a laugh, lifting the hood of the Ferrari, taking a look at the engine. He began rambling off the engine specs to the car, leaving me clueless and nervous.

"Who's Leon and Vince?" I asked.

"Your mom doesn't tell you anything does she?" I shrugged my shoulders. "They were part of the crew. We all lived in one house together. We were one big happy family, then shit hit the fan," Jesse seemed a little bitter a he slammed the hood down on the car. "Get in," he ordered as he slid in the car.

We followed the stream of cars down a strip about half a mile away. As everyone pulled to the sides of the road, three cars were parked in the street, each fired up and ready to go.

"GTO, Integra, and Rx-8," Jesse named, looking over at each of the cars. Jared walked over to the car, leaning in on my side. I tried not to blush as she so blatantly looked down my tank top.

"Alright Jess. The boys wanna throw in eight," he said vaguely.

"How 'bout ten?" Jesse asked, a sly smile on his face. Jared removed his head from the window for a second, then reappeared.

"Done," Jesse handed him the money and revved up the engine of the Ferrari. I sat nervous and patiently as a blond bimbo walked out in front of the cars. I looked over at the other racers. The guy in the GTO was staring back at me, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Why don't you come ride with a real man, cutie?" he said, a smug smile on his face.

"Until you're driving a Ferrari, you aren't a real man," I gave him a fake smile, then rolled the window up.

Jesse laughed, but turned towards me. "Okay, I take it you've never been in a race?" I shook my head no. "Okay. This will go by extremely fast, but you'll feel a rush that you can't get from anywhere else. Everything is such a blur and for those few seconds, you think of nothing but positive thoughts. It's a high no drug can stand up too. It's incredible," the intensity of Jesse's gaze as he spoke about racing was astounding. You could tell he absolutely loved doing this.

I sat back, strapping my self in the seatbelt. I took a deep breath and watched the bimbo in the road.

She raised her arms, a scarf hanging from her hand. Jesse revved the engine, eyes glued to the girl. She twirled her hands, and within seconds, the scarf fell from her hands. Almost a millisecond later did the Ferrari speed off down the road.

My hands instantly grabbed at the seat, surprised by the speed of the car. My body was forced to the back of the seat as nothing but blur appeared outside the window. I looked over at the cars next to us, but only saw one; the GTO. I watched Jesse shift quickly, gaining a further lead on the car.

After I got over the initial shock of the race, I relaxed my body. I shut my eyes and let the adrenaline pump furiously through my veins. Without seeing the action, I felt like I was gliding in the air. _This_ is what he meant. This feeling was a rush unlike _anything_ I had ever gone through. When I opened my eyes, we were going much slower, objects outside the window were actually clear and visible.

"You all right?" I didn't even realize had said something to me until his hand was waving in my face. "Yo, Kid! You okay?" he asked with a smile.

"That was fucking incredible," was all I could muster. He turned the Ferrari around and sped back to the starting line.

**-X-**

(No POV)

Letty looked at her phone again, noticing that it was now two in the morning and Jesse and Ry wasn't back yet. She tried not to worry, knowing that Jesse wouldn't let anything happen to Rylan. And she knew Rylan was tough and could handle herself, but those two together could only mean trouble. Both Stacy and Robbie were already getting sleep, and as much as she wanted too, Letty couldn't make herself fall asleep.

Twenty minutes later, the door to the motel opened, Jesse and Rylan stumbling in.

"Where the hell have you been?" Letty yelled, her eyes fiery and angry.

"Mom, we were just hanging out, lost track of time."

"Yeah, Let. It's cool chica," Jesse replied with a smile.

"What the hell were you doing that you lost track of time for three hours?" she asked, her cheeks flushed. She didn't intend on getting this angry, but Rylan never stayed out late.

Both Jesse and Rylan looked at each other, unsure if they should tell Letty about their night of mischief. Letty crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her hip, a signature move she did right before she was about to snap. Both Jesse and Rylan knew that look very well and one was about to crack.

"We went to a race," Jesse's voice was low and his face was skeptic. He wasn't sure how Letty would react.

"You did what?! Jesse what the hell were you thinking?" she said in a loud whisper. "You know she's only seventeen right? What would have happened if the cops raided? Damn Jess, do you think?" Jesse lowered his head in shame. He always wanted to make Letty happy and when she came down on him, it crushed him.

"Mom, it's okay. Everything went smoothly. Hell, he even won!" she cheered, slapping Jesse on the back. Letty noticed the look in Rylan's eyes as she talked. She was familiar with that look. It was the look of addiction; Letty knew Rylan was hooked.

Letty pinched the bridge of her nose with a sigh. She knew she couldn't try to keep Rylan out of that world, as much as she would want too. She knew the dangers that came with being a racer: crashes, big losses, and police arrests. She didn't want Rylan to risk the future she could create for herself. She was a brilliant and aware kid and could do a lot more with her life than what Letty did.

"Go to bed, we gotta go moving in a few hours," Letty waved them out of her sight. She sighed heavily and crawled in bed, trying to get a few hours of sleep.

* * *

Mia waddled her way through the Toretto home with a bowl of potato salad as Spanish hip-hop music softly played through the speakers outside. She stuff all of the food that'd fit into the oven to keep warm for a while. She turned and was only a few more feet from the door and her back was killing her. Thankfully, Brick was walking from the bathroom and noticed her huffing and puffing.

"C'mere, Woman. I thought I told you to sit down and quit trying to work?" the huge man scooped the pregnant woman up into his arm and carried her effortlessly out the door.

Over the years, Mia grew a close relationship with the new guys of the shop, Reese and Brick. Though she was skeptical of getting new employees whom they didn't know, but after getting to know the guys, she couldn't have picked better men to hire. Brick was indeed huge and intimidating, but he turned into mush when it came to Mia. He treated her like baby sister and loved making her happy. When Dom came back, he sure didn't enjoy all the attention Mia gave Brick.

Reese was more of a flirt that a brotherly friend. To Mia, he was another Leon; horn dog but as sweet as could be. He was definitely a bad boy, with his many tattoos and grungy clothes. He was a misfit as were Leon and Vince and he fit right into their little family. Dom joked with him, saying that he had "short man syndrome". Anytime there was an altercation with a larger man, instead of letting Brick or Dom settle it, Reese was always the first to step up to the plate. Reese was Mia's comedic relief at work when the other boys were busy. He always kept her laughing.

"Where's Vince?" Brick asked as he sat Mia at the picnic table.

"He went with Reese to get some drinks," she huffed enthusiastically as she put her feet up on a stool.

Dom brushed some barbecue sauce on the ribs on the grill, his body almost on autopilot. Today was the day. Jesse called that morning to let Dom know that they were only a few hours away. Ever since that call, Dom had been in his own little world. She would finally be here in a few hours.

What would Dom say to her? How would she look? Would her husband be with her? Could he convince her to stay? Dom didn't know the answer to any of these questions and it frustrated him. He'd gone over everything in his mind that he wanted to say to her, but wasn't sure how it'd work out.

_Hey Let, I missed you. Sorry I left you, I was stupid and scared. I love you, marry me?_

Yeah, Dom, that'd really work.

_So since you're back, you could leave your husband and come back to me? You know, like the way we were supposed to be before I fucked up and ran._

Not quite.

_I'm sorry I bailed and I'd love to start over again. Give me a chance?_

_Hey, that might work,_ he thought.

"Yo D! I'm talkin' to you man," Vince yelled from behind Dominic. Dom snapped out of his daze and turned to his friend, who's hands were full of Coronas. "Grab these brother."

Dom grabbed the cases of beer from Vince and sat them in the cooler next to him. He pulled out two already-cool brews and handed one to Vince, popping the other open himself.

"How 'ya feeling?" V asked, taking a gulp of beer.

"Like if I don't keep busy, I'm gonna jump in my car and go get them myself," he said with a nervous chuckle, flipping the undone ribs.

"Just cool out, bro. If you start losing it now, you'll be a wreck when they show up," Vince nudged Dom's shoulder as he walked away.

"I'm already a wreck," Dom mumbled to himself, chugging his brew.

* * *

(Letty)

The next day we were on the road again, closing in on the last few hours until we made it back to L.A. We all dressed casually, knowing we weren't stopping until we made it to the place. Jesse finally filled me in that they were throwing a barbecue on Echo Park for our arrival. It was the last thing I wanted; to see Dominic on my first day back.

_That's a lie Arletta and you know it_, my mind argued with me. The first thing on my mind this morning was seeing that beautiful smile of his, those amazing chocolate eyes, that nearly perfect body ... _Let, you need to quit. Can't drive under __those__ circumstances._

We were currently entering the state of California. I nervously bit my fingernails as I steered behind Jesse, mentally counting down the minutes until we finally made it to Los Angeles. I didn't expect myself to be this jittery about returning to a place I was so familiar with. It wasn't the place that made it scared; it was that dickhead who still had my heart in his hands.

"Mom, you okay?" Rylan asked from the passenger seat of the Ferrari. The morning after their race, I convinced them to sell the Mustang, as a way to ditch the hot car. We got twenty grand for it, which was a surprise considering the car probably didn't even cost as much. It wasn't a bad looking car, but you could tell it had some engine problems.

"Yeah, I'm cool," I smiled, lying through my teeth.

"Liar," she looked over at me with shaded eyes.

I smirked, "What about you, you okay?"

You could see the wheels turning in her head; it was obvious she had a lot going on up there. In only a few hours, she will be meeting her birth father for the first time, it was a lot to deal with in such a short time.

"I dunno, I guess I'm okay. It's just gonna be weird, ya know? I guess a part of me is scared that he won't even think that I'm his," Rylan admitted, emotion clear in her voice.

"Trust me hun, anyone who knows Dom will know that you're his. Then again, he's a bit of a dummy," I smiled, thinking of Dom's many unintelligent moments. She smiled at me, picking at her fingernails also. _Like mother, like daughter_, I thought. "Look, don't freak. You don't have to speak to him. But please be nice to your Aunt Mia, she's too nice for her own good."

**Twenty minutes later...**

I picked up my cell and called Stacy, telling her not to lose me on the main roads. The L.A traffic was still as shitty as ever. Rylan and I drove around in silence; me from panic, her from gazing.

"Man, why couldn't we grow up here?" Rylan asked in awe, staring at the grungy neighborhoods and the pimped-out rides that rode.

"Are you serious? You had a nice childhood," I replied, shocked. Growing up in the fabulous Manhattan, Rylan, Robbie, and Stacy had a life that most children would envy. Having a money-hungry, rich father, they were given things that I hadn't dreamed about.

"Yeah I know, but this just so much ... realer. I just get the vibe that I belong here. I feel like I fit in here perfectly," she replied, her tone so confident.

"How can you tell?"

"Because I've had chills since I read the _Welcome to California_ sign," her eyes were so passionate that it gave me chills.

I dropped the conversation as we were pulling up on the infamous street: Echo Park. I pulled up behind Jesse's Jetta and parked the Ferrari in the driveway. The Rover pulled in behind us and killed the engine. I dropped my head onto the steering wheel, trying to catch my breath. I was hyperventilating!

"Mom, chill out. Just be yourself," Rylan patted me on the back. I followed her advice and took a deep breath, regaining my composure.

I got out of the car and waited for Robbie to come hold my hand. We all walked to the backyard together, as if we were our own tiny little family.

Upon arriving, the whole gang (plus some additions) were lounging around the backyard. Leon was sitting at the table, a pretty blond on his lap. I instantly noticed the ring on her finger wondered if Leon was dipping in the "married-women" pot again. Mia was kicked back at the picnic table, her feet up while Vince rubbed her belly tenderly. I noticed a little boy with shaggy brown hair and wide chocolate eyes kicking a soccer ball around the backyard. My heart pounded in me as I saw the obvious Japanese features on him. My eyes finally traveled the rest of the yard, noticing a large man with a thick neck and bulging muscles, holding a smaller, more tattooed man in a headlock. I looked over to the center of the backyard to the one man I've been avoiding for almost two decades. Looks like the gang adopted new strays.

And there he stood with white pants and a white beater, shades atop of his head. He looked even more toned than before and had a little shadow growing on his face. It took everything in me not to run to him and give him the fucking of his life.

"Who's a girl gotta threaten to get a welcome around here?" I smirked slyly.


	11. Homecoming

**Thanks for the reviews. Sorry for the hiatus. This chapter might not be up to par, but I've been dealing with some serious writers block. Excuse the lack of talent in this one. Read and Review anyways!**

**Chapter 11**

(No POV)

Letty stood there in front of her old friends, wondering how she could have ever left them. The people that she had grown up with, had experienced everything she ever wanted with. Mia, the adopted sister who she confided in when she was having boy troubles; Vince, the scruffy brother who taught her to fight; Leon, the laid back brother who she played pranks with; and Dominic was her first love.

The man with whom she shared everything with. The man she risked her whole life for. She had gone through unimaginable things to satisfy Dom and to make him happy. She almost risked Rylan's unborn life to satisfy Dom's money-hungry ways.

"Letty, girl!" Leon was the first to run to his old friend, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around. "Damn, girly it's been so long!" Leon squeezed Letty's body tightly, never wanting to let go.

"C'mon, Le, I need to breathe," she patted his back. Lisa walked over, finally able to put a face to the name so often mentioned by Leon and Vince.

"Hi, I'm Lisa. I'm Leon's fiancée," she stuck her hand out, scowling at Leon for his rudeness. Letty looked her up and down and with a wide smile, Letty pulled the other woman into an embrace.

"Glad to see this ladies man has finally settled down. Take care of my boy," Letty warned playfully.

Before Letty could do anything, she was now being lifted off the ground by Vince while Jesse and Leon got reacquainted. Letty laughed as Vince's trademark beard tickled her face.

"You still need to tame that thing," she smiled, yanking on his facial hair.

Mia attempted to get up to go greet her best friend, but Letty was over to her before she could lift a foot. Letty hugged Mia to the best of her abilities, not wanting to hurt her. Mia, on the other hand, bear hugged Letty around the neck. After Letty finally got loose, she rubbed her hands over Mia's exposed belly.

"Damn girl, you're huge for six months," she smiled with teary eyes. She never could control herself when it came to Mia.

"That's because I'm having twins!" Mia exclaimed, tears already pouring down her cheeks. Letty congratulated Mia with another hug.

Letty tried to keep herself from looking over at him. She was afraid that as soon as they locked eyes, she'd run to him and he'd be her knight in shining armor again. She knew she had to do it. She couldn't come into his house after almost twenty years and not speak a word to him.

Letty turned around slowly, looking at the ground as she made her way over to the grill. She made sure she kept her distance from Dom, as a way to assure he wouldn't try to hug her. She knew it would all be over by any form of physical contact.

"Hey Let," Dom said softly, looking down on Letty. _God she's even more gorgeous_, Dom thought. Letty was wearing tan pants with a brown tank top and flip flops. Her hair was in thick curls down her back and she wore large gold earrings to finalize her outfit.

"Hey Dominic. Long time, no see," she smirked, hands shoved in her pocket. It was a nervous move and Dom picked up on that. Ironically, her being nervous made him calm down.

"Who's your friends?" Dom asked, looking over at Stacy and Robbie.

"My kids. Stacy, Robbie, come here," Letty waved them over. She stood back and introduced them to the group. "This is Stacy, my step-daughter. And this is my son, Robert," the group waved as the siblings waved back. "Where's Ry?" they shrugged, walking over to Jesse to get drinks.

"Rylan, get your ass over here!" Letty yelled, wondering where Rylan had disappeared off too.

"Who's Rylan?" Dom asked.

"My oldest daughter," she tried her hardest not to say "our" daughter. She didn't want to give it away so soon.

"Sorry, I spilled soda on my shirt," she huffed, shutting the door to the Ranger Rover. When she turned around, Dom's heart nearly stopped. She walked over to where her mother was and stood next to her. She looked at the man in front of her and felt her blood boil.

"Rylan, this is Dominic. Dom, this is Rylan," Letty introduced, noticing the tension that was between them. Rylan looked at him the same way he gawked at her, studying each other's every feature. Rylan's fists clenched at her side as she looked into his eyes; she had those eyes. Rylan's eyes casted over his large head and thin, but pink lips; those were identical to hers.

Before she could control it, Rylan's left fist was flying toward Dominic jaw. It landed and hard, staggering the big man into the grill. The whole party gasped as Dom regained his composure, wiping the blood trickling down his lip. Letty pushed Rylan back angrily.

"What the hell is your problem?" Letty growled in a whisper. Rylan's eyes were still trained on Dom, but she knew she had relieved some stress. She felt ten times better and _almost_ felt like apologizing.

"Sorry Mom. I couldn't help myself," she replied honestly, shrugging.

"Lose the attitude Rylan. Keep it under wraps until later, then you can fight him," Letty said sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she turned back to Dom. "Sorry about that. She's been a little ... unstable lately," Letty replied, scowling at her daughter.

"I can imagine," Dom muttered, rubbing his sore lip.

"I'll go get you some ice," Letty walked into the house, following by Vince.

Rylan was stuck standing awkwardly in front of Dominic. She rubbed her neck nervously, ironically the same way Dom did when he was doing something he didn't want too.

"Sorry about that. Just letting off steam," she said sincerely. Dom almost smiled, but knew it would only insult her. Instead, he gave her a curt nod and turned back to the grill.

* * *

Letty walked into the familiar kitchen, surprised that nothing had changed even after all the years. Just for kicks, she reached into the drawer where the sandwich bags were kept and was even more surprised that they were still there.

"Guess much hasn't changed after all," she said to herself, reaching into the freezer for ice.

"I guess not," a deep voice came from the back door. Letty turned to see Vince standing there, arms crossed and demanding an explanation.

"What up V?" Letty smiled, truly happy that she was back with her family, despite the circumstances.

"I could ask you the same thing," he quirked a brow at her, watching Dom and Rylan outside. They were standing with each other and it was obvious that they were both uncomfortable. Both stood with their drinks (Dom a beer and Rylan a soda) with their hands shoved nervously in their pockets.

"What do you mean?" she asked, dumping ice cubes into the bag.

"When are you gonna tell Dom?" their was a silent pause, "About his daughter."

Letty closed her eyes in defeat and dropped her head. Maybe Dom and Rylan were more obvious than she had previously expected.

"What are you talkin' about?" Letty asked, zipping the bag up.

"You know what I'm talking about! Everyone out there knows what I'm talking about!" Vince yelled, pointing his finger for emphasis. "I know she's your daughter, but nobody goes and hits people for no reason! Why haven't you told him about her?" Vince's voiced was raised and it was clear that he was upset. He had always looked at what was best for Dom, and he felt Letty had betrayed Dom completely.

"If you haven't noticed, Dom hasn't exactly been one to stick around when the going gets tough!" she yelled her reply.

"Letty, you and I both know that he would have been there for her and you! He wouldn't have left his own child like that! Dom's not that stupid!"

"Maybe if he hadn't left in the first fucking place, he would know about her. His fault, not mine!" Letty yelled in Vince's face, her trademark snarl looking him up and down. She counted backwards from ten as she rejoined the group. _Good thing the music was blasting_, she thought.

Letty walked back over to the grill, where Dominic stood awkwardly. She scowled at Rylan (who was talking to Mia) again as she handed Dom the ice pack. His lip had stopped bleeding, but it was swollen. He handed her a beer in exchange and turned over to Stacy and Robbie, who were playing with Koy and Jack.

"Sweet kid you got there," Letty said out of the blue, watching how Robbie and Koy got along well. _My little family. That's supposed to be my boy_, she thought sadly.

"Same for you. Even the mean one," he nodded behind him to Rylan, who was clearly trying to get away from the talkative Mia. Letty chuckled and turned back around. There was a surprising silence between the two that almost seemed ... normal.

"So I heard you were married, where's your husband?" Dom asked through clenched teeth, trying not to get too riled up about it. Letty could tell it was taking a lot in Dominic to control his anger.

"Yes, I am married, but not for long. I filed for divorce a few days ago. As of now, I have no idea where he is," Letty voice was somber and it surprised Dom. Letty did miss Ryan dearly, but she wouldn't dare call him. After all the pain she had endured with him, he deserved to suffer. Dom could tell it was a touchy subject, so he moved on.

To something way more important.

"So why didn't you call me?" Letty didn't even have to ask what he was talking about. She knew. Hell, it was what everyone at the party was whispering about.

"Dominic, you were long gone and I knew you weren't coming back. I couldn't handle that reality so I left," she said, feeling her cheeks flushing; she was getting angry.

"But I deserved to know, Let!" his voice was low, but firm.

"True, but how the hell did you expect me to call you? Your cell phone was turned off a week after we last spoke. I didn't know until Leon and I came back to L.A. Don't pretend like you would've put your safety on the back burner for me," Letty's voice was getting louder, but she didn't care.

"Bullshit Arletta! I was always there for you when you needed me!" Dom's didn't care about being quiet anymore.

"Oh really Dom?" Letty's hands were clenched at her side, ready to battle. She was used to fighting Dom, they've had their scuffles plenty times in the past. "So why the fuck did you run to Japan instead of coming home? I needed you after I flipped that Civic, but where the fuck were you?!" Letty promised she wouldn't cry and as of now, she was winning.

Rylan went to walk to her mother's aid, but Stacy of all people, stopped her.

"Stop Ry. They need to do this. You had your turn," Stacy said, holding her sister back. Rylan obeyed, but kept a close eye on what was happening.

"I'm sorry Letty but I couldn't stay here. I only had two choices: let you guys get a few years on probation or jail even, or get locked up for the next 25 years. I couldn't take that risk. It's over, let's just drop it. It was years ago Letty. I loved you so much, you think I wanted to leave?!"

"You cocky son of a bitch! If you truly loved me, you would've never let! Any of us! If anything, you would've come back! You have no idea how bad we fell apart because of you. You didn't come back to check on Vince or Jesse, both men who would die for you any day! You didn't even turn back for your own damn blood! You left Mia out to dry, to pick up the pieces of this mess you created!" Letty knew that she had wounded Dom, because he didn't have so much anger on his features anymore. More like sorrow; regret.

Vince ushered the family into the home to leave Letty and Dom to their own vices. He knew it wouldn't get as physical as some might think, so it was safe to leave two strong-willed people alone. When they were finally the only two in the backyard, Dom spoke again. He walked over to the picnic bench and sat down.

"I know I messed up Let. I fucked up real bad and I know it. I ran like a fucking coward, a wuss. I paid for it for years from everyone. Hell, the first few years I was here I couldn't get a word out of Jesse. It took even longer for Mia to warm up to me again. I couldn't even run my own shop the way before," Dom's voice was low and somber. He looked up at Letty with pleading, warm eyes. Those eyes she could never resist. _Oh those eyes.._. "Let I'm so sorry I wasn't there. I hated myself for the longest time. I thought about you every second of the day. I smelled your shampoo everywhere. I saw your eyes when I closed mine. I felt your skin on mine at night. I _did_ miss you, Let. I still do. Everyday," Dom finished, holding his head in his hands. _I can't believe I just did that_, Dom thought feverishly.

* * *

(Letty)

I wanted to beat Dom's face in. For being an ass. For being sweet. For making me want him again. For making me cry. I wiped the tears away quickly. I watched him hold his head down, but I knew he wasn't crying. Dom didn't cry around me before and I didn't expect things to change now.

Swallowing my pride, I walked over to the bench and stood in front of the big man. I lifted his face to look at me, noticing the brown pools were in fact dripping with tears. I wiped the tears with my thumbs and put my forehead to his. As soon as our skin touched, I felt electricity shoot down my spine, making me shutter slightly. _You knew you wouldn't be able to resist him._

"You did mess up Dom. I needed you every second of the day for years. I felt like I was falling apart without you. That's why I left. I didn't want to be here if you weren't here. I couldn't accept that. You have no idea what we've been through for all these years. You could never imagine the pain we've endured," I felt a tear drip down my face as I thought of all the painful years as a married woman in New York.

Dom looked up at me and I could tell, somehow, that he knew what I meant. His eyes flared up with anger and rage and his body began to quiver. I didn't speak, but I tossed my body into his arms, craving his warmth to protect me. His body instantly relaxed as his giant paws wrapped around my body, pulling me close into his embrace.

_This is what you've needed, what you've dreamed of for years. Delicacy, intimacy, real true love. This man has always had your heart, regardless of who you were with. He was the man you were meant to be with. Meant to spend your whole life with Letty._

_Don't be stupid! _My mind argued with me_. He abandoned you the very second he had! He left you and your family to fend for yourselves while he was off playing playboy in Japan. Even before then, cheating seemed to be his favorite hobby. Letty don't be stupid, you're still married to the man who has ruined your life. Don't fuck up!_

The good and the evil twins on my shoulders battled with each other as I sat in Dominic's arms. I thought thoroughly about what each was saying. They were both right, and I had to make a decision right now that would affect me for the rest of the time here. I needed to do what was smart. I needed to follow my mind at the moment and not my heart, for once.

I took a deep breath and pulled out of Dominic's embrace.

"This can't work. I mean it can, but it won't. You can't just disappear and show up and think everything is okay. I can't just like you did and now I need to work on getting my family back together," I stepped away from Dom slowly. His eyes were shocked.

"Let, don't do this. We're both here now and we can work it out. We can take things slow."

"I'm sorry Dom. You need to focus on being in Rylan's life, not mine. She needs a father. Ryan despised her ever since..." I stopped myself before I gave away too much. _Ever since she started interfering in our fist fights._ I knew if Dominic knew anything, he'd jump in his car and speed to New York to kill my soon-to-be-ex husband. "Look, I just don't think I'm emotionally capable of jumping into anything. I am still married, Dom."

Dom looked hurt beyond belief, but he understood what I was saying. I needed time to get over not only my physical pain, but my emotional pain as well.

The big man stood from the picnic table and stood in front of me. I closed my eyes and my body stiffed, a usual reaction in times of fear. After a few seconds with a sharp pain anywhere on my body, I peeked my eyes open. Dom stood with watering eyes in front of me, hands shoved in his pocket.

"Let, what happened to you?" his voice quivered as he spoke. "You think that I would actually _hit_ you? I'd be stupid for that."

I felt like a complete jackass as a single tear fell down his face. Dom would never physically hurt a woman. Mr. Toretto always told us that a man who put his hands on a woman was a coward and a punk. He said that a man who hit women abused his strength that's supposed to be to hold a woman when she's upset, to carry their child through the delivery room, to fix things around the house, and to especially fix the family car. Mr. Toretto was a good man.

"I'm sorry D. Like I said, we've been through a lot," I walked away from him slowly. Before I entered the home, I turned back to him. "I still love you Dominic Toretto. Always and forever," I smiled slightly before going inside.


	12. Daddy to the Rescue

**Thanks for the reviews. Don't forget to enjoy and review!**

**Chapter 12**

(Rylan)

Vince gathered everyone and shoved us into a tiny two-story home. It was small and simply, but it gave off a good vibe. It smelled like a garage and oranges. I definitely felt at home in this cozy house.

After Jesse excused himself to check out Brick and Reese's cars, some of us decided to chill in the living room. Stacy looked highly uncomfortable as she was stuck in between Vince and Leon on the sofa. I had never seen Stacy so nervous and confused. Being from high-priced, high-fashioned Manhattan, New York, she had never been around grungy greasemonkeys like the boys before. Working in a garage, I had that advantage over her.

The boys didn't intimidate me at all. I actually felt a place in my heart growing for them both. Sure they were big, hairy, and a little on the stupid side, but they were sweet guys.

"You okay Stace?" I asked, taking a seat in the recliner. I was enjoying her torture.

"I'm fine, why do you ask?" she replied, her voice screaming for savior.

"Why don't you go check up on Rob and Koy?" without speaking, she jumped up and marched up the stairs quickly.

I chuckled and relaxed on the recliner as I waited for my mother to come back inside.

"So are those your cars out there?" Leon asked, gulping down his beer.

"Nope," I responded.

"Well where'd you get them from?" he asked.

"Yeah, where the hell did you find a Ferrari?" Vince asked skeptically.

"My friend Cece," I replied vaguely.

"She let you borrow her car?" Leon asked disbelievingly.

"Nope," was all I said before I stood and left the room. I didn't want to stick around for them to figure it out.

Walking into the kitchen, I noticed a very pregnant Mia sitting on a chair, her eyes focused outside. I took a seat next to her, my eyes following hers. She was staring at my parents. _Wow, that sounds weird_, I thought. Dom was sitting on a picnic table with his head in his hands. My mom stood a few feet away, her hands shoved in her pockets.

"He's a good guy you know," Mia spoke aloud. "Yeah, he might have messed up and sometimes he's dumber than a bag of rocks, but he is a damn good man. He tries so hard to please everyone, if you can imagine that. He's always tried his best to provide for his family. Always. He never turns his back on someone in need. That's why we all used to live here back in the day. Those guys were strays and needed a home, and Dom gave them one, a good job, and food to eat. Including your mom," I listened carefully to everything Mia said.

"Why'd he turn his back that day then?" I asked, looking into her eyes. Her eyes were the same as his, the same as mine. Maybe she was thinking the same thing, because a small smile crept onto her face.

"He had to make a big decision because of his mistakes. I won't make excuses for him because he was wrong, he should have come back a long time ago. But he's here now, can't beat him up for that."

I watched my parents carefully. Now, my mom was standing in front of him, touching his forehead with hers. They looked so perfect together, even in a time of angst. Seeing them together now made me wonder why my mom would ever go with a jackass like Ryan. Dominic was handsome, and he seemed like he had everything together. Why would he turn out to be such a jerk?

"I see a lot of you in him, you know. Very strong-willed, very stubborn. Extremely overprotective of Letty," she smiled brightly at me. "That's good."

"I don't know if I'm ready for another man to come into my life. My family has been through a lot. I don't want to trust him," I told her honestly.

"Understandable. Give him a chance though? He deserves a second chance," Mia's eyes were pleading to me. Mom was right, Mia could charm her way into anyone's heart.

"I'll work on it," I smiled at her as my mom walked into the back door. She looked upset, but tried to mask it with a smile.

"Can we eat?" she asked with a watery smirk.

* * *

(No POV)

The whole family gathered at the picnic table that seemed to be custom-made just to fit them all. Dom was at the head of the table, looking down at his extended family with pride and happiness. The chatter never seemed to stop between everyone. The happy reunion was one for the books, Dom knew that.

He was happy, but not particularly about the space Letty managed to keep between the whole time. She sat Koy between them, and kept Rylan next to her just in case she had another fit. Letty tried her hardest to keep occupied with conversations with the team and not with Dominic. She avoided eye contact at all costs, not even looking when she said grace.

"I want to thank God and everyone helping for allowing me to come back home. This is where I truly belong and it sucks that it took certain circumstances to get me here. Nevertheless, I'm very thankful to have both of my families here together again. Even with the extensions of big man Brick and tattooed-guy Reese. Please bless this enticing food. Amen," she finished with a smile for everyone but Dominic. It hurt him.

"So how you been livin' up in New York girl?" Leon asked enthusiastically, shoveling mashed potatoes into his mouth.

Letty noticed the obvious changes in Leon's appearance. He didn't have his long, curly brown hair anymore. He donned a buzz cut that actually looked good on him. He had a lot more tattoos, which she figured he picked up from Reese. His frame was larger than what she had remembered, and knew that Lisa was a lucky woman for finally bagging the playboy.

"Life was ...." Letty wasn't sure if she could spill everything that had happened in the past twenty years. "Let's just say it was one hell of a rollercoaster ride," she chuckled, taking down some Corona. She sighed happily, how she missed the tang of the brew.

"You know we love rollercoaster rides," Dom's voice piped up, smiling hopefully at Letty. He wanted to know just what she had dealt with that made her so afraid of him. Or men in general.

"I don't think it's appropriate to talk about this in front of the children," she tried to avoid the conversation as much as possible.

"Koy, why don't you take Lil' Man here and go play with Jack? Show him the obstacle course we built in the garage," the big man Brick said from the other side of the table. The boys jumped up happily and ran to the front of the house.

"Thanks Brick," Letty smirked sarcastically. When she met Brick, she instantly took to him. She looked at him as someone she could talk to when things were rough. Someone who would protect her even if he didn't know her. He gave off that brotherly vibe that she couldn't deny. "Well... it all started when I met Ryan Parker at a gas station..."

Letty began telling the gang the story of her life after leaving L.A. She went through the beginning of love with Ryan, which made Dom cringe with every word she spoke. She wasn't sure if she should have leave out the really brutal encounters that she had with Ryan. She knew the boys would jump in their cars and drive all the way to New York to kill her husband.

"After Rylan was born, things between Ryan and I changed. He was more aggressive, he'd get mad easily, things were just ... scary. That's when the fights started," Letty took a deep breath before continuing. Rylan put her hand on Letty's underneath the table. Letty looked at her with a smile, then continued. "When Rylan was about 12, Ryan and I were fighting about dinner that night. He got really mad and hit me. Rylan came to see what was going on and he pushed her down. I hit him, he hit me back, next thing I know, she's falling down the stairs," tears dripped down Letty's brown eyes. Rylan gave her hand a squeeze as she tried to forget the awful memory.

"You fell?" Jesse asked clueless.

"He pushed her," Dom said angrily as he stood from the table, kicking his chair backwards. He stormed off to the front of the house, leaving the family to their own vices.

Letty stood to go talk to him, but Rylan stopped her.

"I'll do it. Finish your story," Rylan stood and walked around to the front of the house.

**-X-**

(Rylan)

I walked around to the front of the house, looking for the giant roaming around. I looked around the neighborhood, spotting the bald man at the end of the block. I jogged down to him, watching as he paced back and forth with his hands clasped behind his head.

"Hey you all right?" I asked, shoving my hands in my pockets. He turned around swiftly, both eyes red with anger. His sculpted jaw was clenched tight as he spoke threw clenched teeth.

"Am I all right?" he asked, brows furrowed angrily.

"It was just a question!" I yelled back.

He paused for a moment, then looked at me with a smile that I didn't see coming. I was confused.

"Why are you smiling?" I asked nervously. _Was he some kind of psycho?_

"You are just like her. With everything you do and say, you are definitely your mother's child," he said with a smile that I couldn't resist smiling back too. He was just as charming as Mia.

"I guess so," we stood for a second, the moment growing awkward. "Look, you don't need to be angry. What happened in the past is just that, the past. I'm over it, and you should be too," I said lazily.

"How can you expect me to get over it? To think that this asshole has been beating the woman I love and my fucking daughter for years? I want to rip him apart!" Dom shouted, his deep voice rumbling through the block. To a stranger, Dom's voice and large size would frighten them. But in a strange way, his deep baritone voice soothed me.

"Look, don't make it a big deal. We got out of there before anyone ended up dead. Mom can take care of herself and so can I. We just need a place to stay for a while, that's it," I told him, crossing my arms against my chest.

"I've always taken care of Let. She might seem tough, but she does need someone to take care of her. And that's always been my job. And you are my daughter, so whether you like it or not, I will look after you. And Robbie and Stacy because I don't turn my back on family."

I was becoming angry now. _Who the fuck did he think he was?_ He had no right to just throw himself into our lives the way he was! We didn't need him then and we damn sure don't now. All we needed was each other.

"If I got this right, you turned your back on my mom the day you sent her to Mexico and never came back!"

He looked at me in surprise, not expecting a reply of such harshness.

"Like I told her, I had to get away. I couldn't go back to jail," he said, his voice softer than before.

"But you'd rather let your girl take the heat?! You left her and didn't look back. You left me too," I added, aggravated at him.

"I didn't know about you Rylan. If I knew about you, I would've come back the second I found out. I would've never left you," he moved closer to me, his voice soft and gentle. His eyes were sincere, which made me even more pissed. To know that I didn't have to grow up with that sucker of a father only added fuel to my fire.

"You didn't bother to call? You didn't think, 'Hey maybe I should call to check on my family. Make sure no one's dead or in jail. Make sure Letty's okay'. Was that so fucking hard?" I screamed, tears streaking down my face.

Dom's brown eyes mirrored mines as water sat even on his bottom lids.

"I'm sorry Rylan. I know I fucked up, but I'm here. Let me be there now. It's not like I was there and bailed. I didn't know, you can't blame me for that," I shook my head frivolously at him. "I'm so sorry baby," he pulled me into his large, warm arms. I swung my fist into his chest, pounding indignantly as I cried like baby.

I knew it couldn't have felt great on his body, but Dom never once let go of me. He held me through the pain. I even felt moisture through my tank. After I got tired of fighting him, I crumpled and let him hold me as we cried on the corner of Echo Park.

My pride then took over, pushing out of his arms.

"You know, I guess I can't blame you. I didn't know about you either until about two weeks ago. Mom was so fucking depressed that she wanted to forget about you forever. She said she started believing that Ryan was my actual father. Stupid bastard was the worst father I could've had. You both were idiots to hurt a woman like her. She is the greatest person I know. And if you can't respect her, then you could forget about ever having a place in my life," was all I said before I turned and walked away from him.

As I made my way back to the house, I noticed the whole party was standing on the front lawn, watching as I made my way back to the house. They had been watching the whole altercation. At the moment I didn't care, I just wanted to lie down.

"Everything okay Ry?" Stacy asked, stopping me as I walked up the steps of the house.

"I have no idea," I answered, walking into the house.


	13. Adoration

**Thanks for the reviews. Not much going on in this chapter. Next chapter will be better, promise. I know this is random but I just wanted to say that I just got accepted into the University of Northwestern Ohio for Automotive/High Performance. How great is that?**

**P.S.: I know this is another random note but Eric Mabius (the guy from Resident Evil) named his newborn son Rylan! **

**Chapter 13**

(Dom)

After my altercation with my new-found daughter, I was extremely exhausted. Instead of going to my bedroom, I went into the garage. Opening the door, I smiled at my pride and joy sitting there, almost waiting for me; my father's restored '69 Charger. After the wreck against Brian, I left my father's crumpled car in a mess in the middle of the road and didn't look back at it. Later that night, I drank myself into an oblivion from feeling so much disappointment. I looked at it as a curse years after that.

About a month after I got home, the guys said they had a surprised for me. They took me to the parking garage about a quarter mile away from the warehouses where I'd park my car after a cop raid. There, the muscle car was parked under a tarp, fully restored and as beautiful as ever. When I asked how it happened, Vince replied, "I guess he ain't such a buster after all". I never did thank the cop for that.

_Or for saving your ass_, my mind reminded me. The Team said after the last heist, they hadn't heard from Brian again. He sent the car with a tow service, but they never disclaimed where the car came from, or who sent it. Then, two years after I returned, a letter appeared on the doorstep of the home one morning. It was from Brian. Said he lost his job because of his, lost all trust from old friends, and even almost got himself killed to clear his name. He apologized for everything, and said that if we ever needed anything, to just call.

_What a guy,_ I always thought. Even after losing everything he ever had just for us, made me respect him more than I had anyone in a while. Sure, he lied to us, betrayed us, almost arrested me. But how could I blame him? It was his job. And we _were_ jacking those trucks, but that wasn't what he told his superiors. He lied to his boss, betrayed him, and got arrested, just to keep in our good graces.

If I ever saw him again, I'd let him know that he was still in my good graces.

As I snapped out of my daze, I realized that I was sitting behind the wheel of the Charger, gripping the steering wheel again. Just being in the car was an adrenaline rush, and it really got my blood pumping. The black leather, the chrome lining, the garage smell; everything about this car screamed power. I laid my head down on the headrest and let my mind drift away.

As my eyes closed, images of Rylan popped up in my head. She was absolutely gorgeous. She looked just like her mother. And she was tough, just like Letty. _She definitely had one helluva left hook_. At the thought, I rubbed my jaw with a smile.

I loved her already. I hadn't known she had existed until three hours ago, but I adored her already. I adored the small smirk she gave, never fully showing a true smile. I loved her long brown hair, and how it was curly and messy like her mother's. I found myself smiling every time she spilled her water on my shirt. She was just as clumsy as her old man.

I smiled brightly thinking of her. She was my first born, whether I knew it or not. She was my first girl. She was the one who was supposed to soften me up, break my tough guy behavior down. She had already. She broke me.

Before I could finish my thought, I heard a familiar crash at the entrance of the garage door. I smirked, knowing that she never knew how to get the door open. To prevent us from breaking into the beer fridge, Dad rigged the garage door. It was heavy for those who didn't have the body build as myself. I pressed the garage door on the dash of the Charger and it lifted effortlessly, revealing Letty standing there, hands in her pocket and a scowl on her face.

"You need to get that fixed," she half-joked, pointing to the door. As she walked into the garage, I reached over and opened the door for her.

When she slid onto the leather seat, right away, I smelled her vanilla perfume that she always wore back in the day. It brought back some incredible memories, that's for sure.

"Some heavy shit went down today, huh?" she said, trying to break the thin ice between us. I utter a laugh, trying to keep my eyes off of her. I knew the second I looked at her, I'd end up on top of her like we had many times in this garage.

"You could say that," I replied. She was silent for a minute, trying to think of what to say next. "I'm sorry to just drop in on you guys like this. Actually, Rylan was the one to organize our little trip. You wouldn't believe the shit that went down before we left," she said, shaking her head in disgust. I could tell by her body language that she had been through hell and truly despised that pathetic man she called a husband.

"You know if you wanna stay here, the rooms are empty. Jesse's already camped out in the basement, so Vince's and Mia's old rooms are free if you want them. Koy offered to share his room with Robbie," I offered, hoping and praying she'd stay home. In my house, _our_ house. "I even have a little room in my bed..." I joked, receiving a smack in the arm from her.

"Yeah right perv!" she laughed, warming my heart. That raspy chuckle is what I missed the most. "Stacy and Rylan can have the other two rooms and I'll take the couch."

"No way. You take my bed, I'll take the couch. I'm not gonna have you sleepin' on that dusty thing."

"You never cared before," she smiled genuinely.

"I didn't like you then," I joked. I looked at her, finally glancing into her beautiful eyes directly. We sat there in a trance, staring into each other's eyes like there was no tomorrow.

I felt a single jolt through my body as I glanced at her lips. I licked my bottom lip in hunger, trying to hold myself back from attacking her. I know she felt the jolt too, because she was staring at me the same way; with desire and passion. I leaned in slowly, ready to pull back if rejected. To my surprise, she leaned in further. My heart pounded harder each second our lips weren't touching.

"Kiss me already," she sneered with a smile, pulling my head down onto her lips. I wanted to laugh at her, but I knew it would only insult her further. Instead, I crashed my lips down onto hers.

Every bad thing in my life suddenly never existed as I tasted the sweet strawberry lip gloss on my tongue. For that moment, this fucked up situation actually seemed ... _normal_. Taking advantage of this moment, I ran my paws through her curly hair, feeling the soft and thickness of it. As the passion grew with every second of the kiss, so did the tightness of my jeans. I knew now wasn't the time to get extremely horny, but I couldn't help myself. Sure, I should have been focusing on the love that I had for this woman and how happy I was that she was even touching me, but those thought's hadn't registered in my mind. Instead, I thought of past times when Letty and I had rendezvous's in the back of a car...

_And in the back of the garage..._

_... In the junkyard ..._

_... In the store ..._

I was so into the kiss that I hadn't noticed Rylan standing in the doorway of the garage. Obviously Letty hadn't either, because she continued rubbing her hands down my chest as we kissed passionately.

Rylan cleared her throat, "You mind giving her her tongue back for a second?" she asked, crossing her arms and poking out her hip, just the way Letty does when she's angry. "As much as I love watching you two make out, I have to talk to her," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes in disgust.

Letty finally pulled away in shock at hearing our daughter's voice. She wiped her lips feverishly and stepped out of the car. I followed her motion, locking the Charger up tight. I noticed her eying the car.

"That yours?" she asked, eyebrow raised in interest. Her face still bore a scowl as she pretended like she didn't care about the world.

"Yeah. My dad and I built it when he raced," I replied, looking at the beauty that was the Charger.

"He raced?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. I felt a sense of pride as she lost the scowl. She was gorgeous when she didn't have her mean face on.

"In the Stock Circuit, yep. You heard about that?" I asked, wondering how much about racing she actually knew.

"A little," I could tell she wanted to say more, but I guess she remembered she hated me because her mean face came back. "Anyways. I was gonna go ride with Jesse and Brick to get rid of these cars," she said to Letty.

"Why is that exactly?" Letty asked, crossing her arms. The look on Rylan's face didn't change, but it looked less hostile. "Because they aren't exactly ours."

"You didn't steal them, did you?" I asked, fatherly role coming intact.

"No, _Dom_, I didn't," she put emphasis on my name, which burned a little. "Cece did," she shrugged.

"You know what Ry? I'm too exhausted to fight with you. Get rid of the cars and get your ass back here. You have to register for school tomorrow," her voice was tired. Rylan didn't speak, only walked out of the garage and back into the house.

"Who's Cece?" I asked curiously.

"Her one and only friend. Good kid but does some stupid shit," she said, rubbing the back of her neck. "Look Dom, I'm going to head in for the night. I'll see you in the morning," she placed a kiss on my cheek and turned away.

"Sure you don't want me to tuck you in?" I asked with a sly smile.

She just looked over her shoulder with a smirk, and kept walking.

_What a woman._

* * *

(No POV)

The next morning, Rylan was awaken by the loud clutter of voices and footsteps downstairs. She tried turning over to fall back asleep, but it was no use. She looked over at her clock, which read 9:45 a.m. She angrily shoved the covers off of her legs as she stood and trekked out of the room. She slowly made her way to the kitchen, where all of the noise was coming from.

She pushed through the door angrily, not saying a word, but staring at each of the characters in the room. The same crowd from yesterday, minus Leon and Lisa. Mia was sitting at the table, rubbing her belly as she screamed at Vince, who was standing over eggs on the stove.

"Vince don't let them burn!" she yelled with a chuckle.

"Shut up Mia!" he yelled back, obviously frustrated.

Rylan looked at Letty, who was leaning against the counter, sipping a cup of coffee in amusement. Dom was sitting at the table with Mia, staring up at Letty with nothing but love in his eyes. Rylan allowed her eyes to focus on him a little too long and found herself intrigued. She slowly found her heart creating room for him. His whole aura screamed protection and love.

He was a beefcake and she didn't understand how he could produce so much love towards the family. Especially to her mother. Rylan never understood love and didn't want to understand it. She knew it never turned out well and she didn't want to experience that type of pain yet.

When his attention turned to her, she made sure she scowled before turning to the other kitchen patrons. Jesse was at the table scoffing down a bowl of cereal and Brick and Reese were just entering the already packed room.

"What's up Newbie?" Reese said to her, giving her a cheerful smile and nod.

"Well I was trying to sleep before I was rudely awaken," she replied, her tone focused on the back of Vince's head. Thankfully he was still tangling with the eggs. "What in the world are you people doing up so early?"

"Gettin' ready for work," Jesse replied, mouthful of cereal.

"Yeah, we gotta get the shop open soon. Guys, head out now and meet Le and Lisa at the shop. I'm gonna stick around here for a bit," he directed the men.

She was amazed at the amount of power he had in his home. Just like that, the boys were on their feet and walking out of the house. The only one who stuck around was Vince, who was finally transferring the burnt eggs onto a plate.

She mentally dared him to try to use that 'I'm-the-man-do-as-I-say' bravado on her.

"I'm glad your up. We gotta go get you registered down at the high school," Letty said, pushing off of the counter. Rylan rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Oh come on Mom. I just freakin' woke up! Can't we wait 'til Monday?" she asked, eyes pleading with Letty.

Letty smiled evilly, "Sorry babe. The sooner, the better. You are going to graduate. I didn't and I won't let you make that mistake. Go get showered and dressed," Letty replied, placing her coffee mug in the sink. After another minute or so of begging, Rylan finally gave up and went upstairs.

"She always so grumpy?" Mia asked, stabbing at the breakfast on her plate.

"Usually," Letty shrugged, "She'll calm down eventually. After a while, you won't even know she's here. She's a strange one," Letty chuckled, wondering how she and Dom created such an oddball child.

" Where's Stacy's mom?" Mia asked out of the blue, causing Vince to nudge her.

"I thought I was the rude one," he grunted, causing Letty to smile.

"Stacy parents got a divorce a few months before I met Ryan. She was only a few months old, but we instantly clicked. Stacy's mom lives in Orlando. They don't have a great relationship. Stacy's holding a grudge," Letty shrugged.

"Well, I guess we better get going. Got about a mile hike ahead of us," she smiled, waving goodbye to the group.

Before Letty had the chance to make it out of the kitchen, Dom's voice stopped her.

"I can take you two. No reason you should be walking," Dom jumped up at the chance to spend time with Letty and Rylan. Letty smiled, leaving the kitchen with Dom following.

* * *

(Rylan)

After getting out of the shower, I dressed as slow as possible, wanting to piss my mother off. I pulled on jeans and an old Rolling Stones t-shirt. I left my wet hair down and grabbed a baseball cap, putting it on backwards. I jogged down the stairs and out of the house, where my mom sat in that beautiful car in the garage last night, a '69 Charger. And she wasn't alone, which only made me groan.

"Great, a family trip," I said sarcastically, walking on my mom's side and hopping in the backseat.

I crossed my arms and pouted as we drove through the city to the high school.

I hated high school more than anything in this world. At my old high school, my life was hell. Constantly being ragged on because I was different. Because I didn't look like everyone other bimbo at the school. Because I wasn't feminine enough or didn't throw myself at every jerkoff at the place. I went through every rigorous obstacle to fit in. I even went as far as to try out for the cheerleading team just to get the attention of others.

That's why I highly despised my stepsister, Stacy. She was perfect. She had the blond hair, the blue eyes, the petite body. For as long as I could remember, she was always the better Parker sister. She attracted the better-looking boys, while I, for some reason, attracted the weirdos and freaks.

Stacy was the captain of the cheerleading squad and dated the star quarterback. She was perfect, and everyone believed her when she denied our kinship. Even those who lived on the same block as us believed that we weren't step-sisters. They couldn't understand how this pretty little white girl could be even remotely related to this weird Puerto Rican girl. After a while, I just stopped trying to prove it to everyone. Hell, it was better off if they didn't know. I didn't want people to pretend to like me just because who my sister was. I liked not having any friends. That meant less people to make happy, and less people to disappoint.

All I needed was my mother for the longest time. My dad was a prick and a workaholic, and I couldn't stand him. But my mother was strong and independent and sarcastic. She made me laugh with her crazy antics and would never stop talking about cars. I remember my dad used to get mad that she was always talking about her old Silva. The older I got, the less she talked about cars. Her whole aura changed as I got older. And it was all because of him.

"You all right back there?" Dom's deep voice pulled me out of my trance. I looked at his dark brown eyes in the rear view mirror.

"Just peachy," I replied bitterly, focusing back out the window.

A few minutes later, we pulled up to the school: Los Angeles High (A/N: I have no idea about high schools in L.A, so bare with me). There were teenagers and cars everywhere. Everyone was separated into groups by race, which for some reason didn't surprise. I was already an outcast, this wasn't going to make it better.

Some of the kids seemed to surround the car in pure awe. I heard the whispers, "That's Dom Toretto," or, "My parents told me about them, they were the shit back then!" or my favorite, "That's Dom Toretto, he had sex with my mom!" I balled up my fist in frustration. There was no way in hell I was going here.

"This is it. Let's go get you enrolled," my dad smiled friendly, which only riled me up more.


	14. Strictly Muscle

**I haven't had any reviews for two chapters in a row. I'm worried that no one is reading my story anymore. If you are, a review of reassurance would be great! Thanks!**

**Chapter 14**

Dom and Letty walked into their old high school, both reminiscing on the old times they experienced there. Rylan, on the other hand, found more reasons to hate the building she would call 'hell' for the rest of her high school life. _Too crowded, too loud, too many bimbos, way too many guys looking at at me like meat, _she said to herself. She noticed Dom giving the same guys the death glare, and they made sure they diverted their attention elsewhere. She smiled to herself, making sure to keep her angry face on through the long walk to the office.

Finally reaching the small room, the three entered the room.

"Were you the lady who called for the new student enrollment?" the secretary, a plump woman with red-rimmed glasses, asked Letty.

"Yes ma'am. I wanted to enrollment my daughter, Rylan," she replied with a smile. The three sat down with the secretary, Mrs. Lively, and filled out paperwork.

After stubbornly filling out the paperwork, Rylan and her parents were sent to the principal's office, where she was to be informed on the school and its rules. Dom was the first to enter the office, shuttering at the memories of spending much time in this particular room.

"Welcome," the principal before turning around. He was pouring himself coffee, and when he turned, he shuttered the same way Dom had. "Dominic Toretto? Letty Gonzales? What a surprise," their formal principal, Mr. Dale, said with wide eyes. He would never forget the faces of his two worse students in the history of his profession. Dom was constantly in for skipping school to practice his racing and roughing up punks who hit on Mia, and Letty was in for fighting with everyone who stepped in her path. John Dale prayed who through high school that the two would pass and be out of his life forever. He was happy when Letty dropped, but was still stuck with Dominic until graduation. Now, with seeing their faces, he was positive his dream was diminished.

"You look happy to see us," Letty said with sarcasm. Rylan smiled, happy to see her mother finally coming back around to her old self.

"Please, please, take a seat," he instructed, seating himself also. Dom stood, allowing his women to sit in the available seats. "It's been a while. How are you two?" he asked, only because it was polite. He wanted nothing more for them two to be gone out of his sight.

"Okay. We wanted to get our daughter, Rylan, enrolled. We filled out the paperwork, just need to go over the rules and regulations," Letty replied. Dom's heart warmed at the phrase 'our daughter'.

Mr. Dale looked surprised to hear that the two were still together, and now have a child together. Then again, it shouldn't surprise him. The two were inseparable back then, and it looked like things haven't changed.

"Well I'd like to welcome you to Los Angeles High. It's a very rounded school with many achievements," Rylan's mind rambled as she continued to tone the bald man out.

She wondered what life would be like, now that she was living with both of her parents. She wondered if Ryan would find them. Would he try to get custody of Stacy or Robbie? _Ain't no way in hell I'm letting them go back_, she told herself.

"We don't tolerate with violence whatsoever. Some of our students are gang members, which we do no condone. However, we are not responsible for their outside activities, only what goes on inside of these walls. Now from your transcripts, it says you were expelled for fighting. We do not tolerate fighting amongst students or faculty, so after four violations of this policy, you will be expelled. Understood?" Rylan rolled her eyes. She knew there wasn't any way that she'd get through this school year without any fights, so she disregarded his statement. She would try not to get involved with anyone, therefore she'd avoid any confrontation.

"Okay, dress policy," she toned in for a second to hear him reviewing the dress policy. "Well, just keep covered up. We don't really allow head wear either," he said, motioning to Rylan's Yankee cap.

"I'm not a student yet," she gave a fake smile. Dom tapped her shoulder lightly. She turned slightly, looking at his extended hand. She sighed and took the cap off, placing it in his hand.

Letty smiled on the inside on Rylan's obedience. _Maybe things were going to be okay after all_, Letty thought.

"Pretty much just follow after what everyone else is wearing. You should be fine. When you come back on Monday, everything will be set in stone for you," Rylan sighed and nodded, realizing that she had absolutely no choice or say in the matter. She was stuck.

"Thanks a lot Mr. Dale," Letty said, shaking his hand. John Dale's head was pounding. He was stuck with another Toretto/Gonzales kid. And he could tell by the attitude that she had that she was going to be twice as worse than her parents. He would need a drink, very soon.

* * *

(Letty)

After enrolling Rylan into school, we decided to head over to the garage to see how it was still standing. Stacy was at Mia's with Robbie. She decided that she wasn't exactly ready to head back into school. I had to Rylan enrolled as soon as possible because of her expulsion.

On the way to the garage, I was thinking of everything that went on back there. The way Rylan was so obedient to Dom was amazing. She never showed that much respect to anyone in a while. Not even the man who took care of her since the day she was born. But I shouldn't be surprised. Dom had that demeanor that made people want to obey him. Made people want to listen to him, as if he was the voice of reason.

I looked over at Dom in the car, his face a look a contentment and joy. His lips weren't smiling, but his eyes were. I could tell the fact that she had listened to him had gone to his head.

"What's up Smiley?" I asked him. He turned to me, unable to keep the grin at bay.

"Progress," was all he said, turning back to the road. I smirked and shook my head.

Ten minutes later, we were pulling up to DT Automechanics. On the outside, the shop looked just the same; large, dingy, and beautiful. As we pulled in the entrance way, I noticed several other cars parked in front. I spotted the Jetta, and the Skyline in the crowd of cars. There was also a 350Z and a '68 Firebird parked outside the garage.

"Those belong to Reese and Brick?" I asked Dom, pointing to the other cars.

"Yeah. Brick has this weird obsession with Firebirds," Dom said, killing the engine. It was then that I remembered Rylan's love for Firebirds. Before I could turn around to show her, she was already jumping out Dom's side and running over to it.

I smiled brightly then exited the car. It had been a long time since I had seen Rylan this happy about anything. She circled the black car carefully, admiring the beauty of the ride. The muscle car was charcoal black with silver flakes that seemed to make it sparkle even more. The tires were large, but were accustomed with large spoke rims. It looked like it had a lot of power, that's for sure.

"Yo, get your paws off my baby," Brick's deep voice said playfully as he made his way out of the garage. He and Dom shook hands and he gave me a friendly nod. "I see you brought the babe out," Brick said, nodding to the Charger behind me.

Dom looked at me with a lustful smile, "Yeah, she's gorgeous isn't she?" Dom asked, staring into my eyes. I blushed and looked away. My eyes landed on Rylan, who was still checking out the car.

"Whaddaya say Ry?" I asked, walking over to her. She was staring into the passenger side window, gawking at the smooth black leather.

"This is great," was all she managed to say. I laughed and stepped into the garage.

Much to my surprise, after so long the shop still looked the same. The same dingy couch was pushed against the back wall, tool boxes were stacked sky high, and the grafiiti that Leon wrote the night he one his first race was still sprayed on the wall in yellow paint. "No One Can Touch Me!" he wrote. Of course Dom chewed him out for it, but after a while, it became tradition.

"Letty, girl, what's up?" Leon asked from across the room. He and Jesse were working on a Lancer Reliant.

"What's up guys?" I replied, walking over to the two. "Whatcha working on?"

"Some guy wanted us to rip apart the engine and make sure everything was running smoothly. He paid us double to replace the headers, the exhaust system, and give it a new paint job," she smiled, shrugging. It didn't surprise me that Jesse had just returned and was already back to work.

"Wanna get dirty?" Leon asked with a smirk. I tried to fight the urge to touch the car, considering I haven't touched a tuner in years. I was so used to luxury cars that I had forgotten what the engine of a tuner looked like.

"You read my mind," I smiled, pulling off my black jacket. I grabbed the work shirt he tossed me and got straight to work.

**-x-**

(No POV)

Rylan traveled around the garage, looking closely at all the tools lying around. She had seen many of the tools back in Swanson's garage, but some of these were more high-tech. She reveled in all of the imports that were piled into the garage. While looking at the rides, Dom was following her every move, explaining everything she had her eye on. He had no idea that he was wearying on her nerves, but she knew he was enjoying it, so she let him have her fun.

Rylan's eyes landed on Brick and Reese, who were working on a Road Runner Hammer.

"That's mine," Dom said proudly, watching the boys take care of his baby. She was only due for a tune-up, but since Dom was busy this morning, he let the other two work on it.

"Nice," she said neutrally. Dom wasn't sure if she was serious or being sarcastic, so he let it go. Rylan wandered around the garage more, stopping in her tracks when she noticed her mother had changed and was now leaning over a car. She discovered a glow about Letty that she had never seen before. Her mother was happy. Rylan rarely knew Letty to be happy. _Who knew this girly, goody two-shoes knew liked getting dirty_, Rylan thought with a smile.

"So what got you into cars?" Dom asked, walking out of the locker room. Rylan was so into a daze that she hadn't even realized that he was gone.

"I used to work in a garage back home. Before that, I've always wondered how a car worked. Always wanted to know the insides and outs of a car," she responded, not looking at him, but at her mom.

"What kind of cars are you into?" Dom asked, tying the arms of his coveralls around his waist.

"Strictly muscle, but my favorite car is a '76 Firebird Trans Am," she replied proudly.

"Ah, very good car," Dom replied with a nod. He liked her taste. He had an avid love for muscle cars ever since he and Mr. Toretto built the Charger. He shook the thought out of his mind as he looked around the garage. They had a lot to do today, but were short one because Vince was home with Mia and the kids. "You think you can find your way around a Honda?" Dom asked with an eyebrow, a challenge on his face.

Letty looked at Dom with a look of disbelief. He never offered anyone an opportunity to work for him so easily, but then again, she knew he was doing anything he could to get on Rylan's good side.

Rylan gazed at Dom with a face of mixed emotions. Her lips were tight, almost quivering to show the slightest hint of a smile. But ... but her eyes told a different story. The chocolate eyes that she shared with so many Torettos bore the brightest smile she could have given Dominic.

"Got an extra shirt?" she asked, eyebrow to the sky. Dom smiled and tossed her a work shirt hanging from his office door. It was his and it was extremely large for her small body, but she slipped it on anyways.

"Great, two Letty's," Leon murmured from the engine, receiving a playful smack from his old friend.

* * *

About an hour in the garage had passed since Rylan and Letty had gotten back to our old tricks. Letty was surprised how quickly Rylan picked up everything in the garage. Sure, Dom had her working on small things, like changing tires or oil, but it seemed to satisfy her that she was actually in a garage. She took tips from him as she changed the filter on the Honda.

Letty was underneath an Acura Integra when a very annoying sensation began vibrating from her pocket, followed by Spanish hip hop ring. _Cell phone, shoulda got rid of the damn thing_, she said to herself. She ignored the call for the first five minutes, anxious to get done with her third car of the day.

"Letty, get that would you?!" Dom yelled from somewhere in the back of the garage as the phone rang again.

Letty sighed and pushed herself out from under the car. She looked at the number, unfamiliar with it. She stepped out of the bay doors of the garage and answered the call.

"Yeah?"

"Is this Arletta Gonzales-Parker?" a woman said from the other line. Her voice was solemn and saddened.

"Who's asking?" Letty asked, her skin crawling. People with that much sadness and regret in their voice only called to give bad news.

"My name is Denise Clark. I'm a doctor at Manhattan General. Your husband was brought in this morning," she replied vaguely. Letty swallowed the large lump forming in my throat and told her to continue.

**-x-**

Rylan was talking to Reese about his tattoos while they were working together on pulling an engine out of a Toyota. She told him that she always wanted to get a tattoo, but knew her parents would freak like they did about everything.

"Well one day I'll sneak you away from them and we'll get you some ink," Reese whispered, giving her a wink. Rylan returned the gesture, trying to ignore the glares Dom was giving Reese. She knew he was being protective, but it was getting on her nerves. "Heads up," Reese nodded to Letty, who was entering the garage slowly.

Letty's hand was clasped to her mouth, eyes wide and teary. Rylan dropped the tools in her hands and jumped up instantly, running to her mother's aide.

"What's up?" she asked, scanning her mother's face for any sign of what was troubling her. "What's going on Mom?"

"Your father is in the hospital. He was taken in this morning," she started, mentally slapping herself for the slip she made. "He tried to kill himself last night. Rylan, he's in a coma."


	15. Sympathy

**Thanks for the reviews. Criticism and help is always welcome. I'm not close-minded that I don't accept criticism. Hell, I actually encourage it. Just don't burn me too bad lol.**

**Chapter 15**

(Rylan)

"What?" I exclaimed at the news I was just given. _What the hell had that man done to himself?_

"The doctors said he had a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the heart. They did emergency surgery to remove to the bullet and stitch up the hole, but now it's up to him to wake up," she said, closing her eyes to blink away the tears. "The neighbors heard a gunshot go off last night, but didn't go over 'til this morning. He's been in a coma ever since," my mother's eyes were now dripping with tears as she flopped down the hood of a car.

"Damn, girl, that's some heavy shit," Leon said. I guess that was his best attempt at being sympathetic.

I shook my head over and over again. I couldn't believe him. He tried to take the coward's way out for fucking up his own life. I know that sounded harsh, but there wasn't any way in hell I was feeling sorry for this man. The man who had made my life a living hell for years. The man who insisted on beating my mom and raping my sister. No, he got no sympathy from me. If anything, he deserved a fucking applause from me.

I ran my grease-covered fingers through my hair as Dominic walked over to my mom, sitting next to her on the hood. He ran his fingers up and down her arm, his eyes sincere and caring.

"I'm so sorry Let. What are you going to do?" he asked, his voice soft and gentle.

I rolled my eyes and went back over to the car. Although I couldn't stop myself from thinking about Ryan, I kept working on the car with Reese. He looked at me like I was crazy, but I ignored it.

"Dude, are you even phased?" he asked incredulously.

I only shrugged, trying not to look at my mother. I knew one look at her crying face and I'd be just as depressed.

"That's your dad, though," he said again, trying to get some type of reaction out of me.

"Step-dad," I corrected him, my eyes on Dom. Under different circumstances, I'm sure he would have smiled. But he just turned from me back to my mother. "Why should I feel anything for him just because he tries to take his own life? He's already taken ours."

I could feel my mom's eyes on me, but I didn't bother looking up.

"What are you going to do?" I heard Dom ask her.

"I don't know. I have to go back. I have to go see him," I tossed the wrench in my hand down at that moment.

"Why?!" I yelled, walking over to her. "Mom, look what he did to you. He beat the hell out of you almost ever night. He broke you, not only physically, but emotionally as well. He raped Stacy every night. What man would ever do such a thing?" I asked with just vehemence towards him that it burned my insides. "Exactly. Not a man, but a fucking punk. I'm actually sorry he failed his attempt," I spat harshly, stomping out of the bay doors of the garage and down the street.

I didn't know where I was going, but I needed to get out of that place. I felt bad for talking to my mother that way, but I just wished she'd understand where I was coming from. Ryan deserved no sympathy, no pity. He deserved a casket and six-feet of dirt for all I care.

I kept on my journey down the street, taking in some fresh LA air. It was most definitely hotter here than what I was used too, so it was impossible to keep from sweating. I took my hat off and fanned myself as I walked to the end of the block. I turned around just in time to see Leon behind me.

"Come on girl, you can't go running off like that. Especially not in this neighborhood," he said, hands waving gestures.

"I can take care of myself!" I yelled unintentionally. His jaw clenched and he stood staring at me. "I'm sorry man, I didn't mean to yell. I just don't understand how my mom could even care for someone who brought so much pain to our lives, ya know?" The question was rhetorical, but I had a feeling he wouldn't get that.

"She loves him. Love will make a person do crazy things. A person will go through hell and back for the loyalty of loving someone," that was the most grown-up thing I had heard from Leon since I had met him..

"You and Lisa have that kind of love?"

"Well, sure. I mean, we wouldn't be getting married if we didn't. I used to be big with the ladies, and she finally caught my eye and it's been great ever since. Like I said, love will make you do crazy shit," he laughed, showing me that he wasn't all serious.

"You think Dom still loves my mom?" I knew the answer but it felt better hearing it said.

"Are you kiddin'? Man, they had some crazy shit happen in their relationship, but fought through everything because of love. Your dad, Dom, was the biggest player I know. He had all the girls back in the day," Leon tossed his arm around my shoulder, making me feel like a child who's getting advice from a grandparent. He slowly walked me back to the garage, "Now your mom wasn't particularly happy about all these women, but she stuck by him because he was _her_ man, regardless of who he fucked. He came home to her at night, and for some strange reason, that kept Letty happy. Dom would do anything for that girl in there," he smiled, trying to cheer me up. It worked, because I re-entered the garage with a smile.

"You all right Kiddo?" Dominic asked, meeting us at the door.

"Yeah, I'm okay," I answered, walking over to my mother. I sat next to her on the couch in the back of the garage.

"Sorry about that little temper tantrum. I just don't want you to give in to him because you know he's only doing this for attention. If he really wanted to off-himself, he would've shot himself in the head," I shook my eyes, knowing I should think before I speak. "Look, I'm sorry okay. What are you going to do?" I settled for asking.

"I called Mia a minute ago. She and Vince are bringing the kids down. I'm going to fly up there and stay with him, at least until he gets out of the hospital. Until I know he's gonna make it, I'll be there," I sighed heavily, disappointment in my chest.

"Fine, I guess I can't stop you. Do you want me to come?" I inquired, hoping to God she'd say no.

"Not if you don't want too. I talked to Dom and he said you and Stacy can stay, and I'll take Robbie," she replied, looking in my eyes for obedience.

"That's fine. Is he at least going to go with you? I mean just for support?" I said, not wanting to insult my mom by not thinking she was able to take care of herself. She was still tough somewhere in there and I knew it.

"No, he has to stay here. We'll be just fine. Jesse's booking us some tickets and a hotel right away."

"Why don't you just stay in the old house?" I wondered.

"It's just better if we get a hotel. It's too painful for me to go back there," she replied, her eyes watering again. My anger rose once more at the sight of my mother being upset.

At the moment, a blue high-performance ride pulled up to the bay doors, stopping millimeters from the curb. Stacy and Robbie jumped out the back seats while Vince helped Mia out of the front.

"Mom, what's going on? Aunt Mia's been balling her eyes out since you called," Stacy asked, her arms wrapped around her body as she entered the garage. She looked into my eyes, and I couldn't help but look away. The only birth parent she had left just tried to take his life.

"Yeah Mom, what's wrong?" Robbie asked, jumping into my arms. I sat him on my lap as I looked to Mom.

Letty walked over and stood in the middle of the circle of people that formed. She took a deep breath, then began to speak, "Your father's in the hospital. He had an accident and he's in a coma."

Stacy's head dropped and she covered her face with both hands. I could tell by the confused look on his face that Rob didn't know what was going on.

"What's a coma? Is it because I left him?" he asked, his big blue eyes shining with tears. I held him closer to me as my mom approached, kneeling in front of him.

"Don't say that Robert! It's not you, not at all, Baby. Your Daddy was upset and he tried to hurt himself. But he's going to be okay. That's why you and I are going to go see him. Is that okay?" Mom asked, tears falling slowly from her eyes. Robbie nodded while rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands.

Mom stood and walked over to Stacy, who was weeping silently to herself.

"You wanna come? He would love for you to be there," she tried to encourage her. Stacy looked at me, her eyes begging for help. I knew it was a decision she'd have to make on her own, so I looked away.

"No. I'm gonna stay here, but call and keep me updated please?" she asked, her eyes pouring with love and heartbreak. Mom nodded, hugging Stacy close.

Jesse came running over to us, papers in hand.

"Your plane leaves at eight in the morning," he handed Mom the papers. "I'm sorry for everything. Blows big time," he said, scratching his head.

The whole garage was solemn and depressed as the boys and I went back to work. The mood had been killed by the news. _That's just like you, always fucking up a good time_. Today's going to suck.

* * *

(Dom)

I had been lying on my bed, staring up at the ceiling for the past hour or so. Seeing Letty so hurt and broken over that chump really wore on my emotions. I wanted to go with her to New York, but she insisted that I stay. I bet she knew I'd lose it at just seeing the man who beat my ex-girlfriend. I told her the first time she needed me, I was on a plane there.

My mind traveled more, then landed on my daughter. How harsh and tough she had been on Letty when they found out about Ryan. If it was me, I'd react the same way she did. How the hell did he deserve pity when he put them through so much? It just seemed too twisted for my mind to wrap around it. Then on the other hand, the pure joy Rylan presented when I let her work on that Honda. _Man, that's what you've been missing out on Idiot_. I missed watching my little girl grow up to a teenager. Hell, she's practically a woman now.

Just as I was getting into my thoughts, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," I said, not wanting to move just yet.

"Hey Dad," Koy said, peeking his head in the door. I scooted over and allowed him to climb in with me. "Robbie's leaving?" he asked, his big brown eyes looking tired. He too was growing right in front of my eyes. It seemed like yesterday that we were back in Japan in a one room apartment, rolling toy cars on the floor together.

"Yeah. He's gotta go with his Mom back home for a few days," I answered, running my hands over his head. Koy didn't respond, only nodded a little. It was then that I realized that I had been so caught up in Letty and Rylan, that I hadn't even asked him how he felt about any of it. "How would you feel if Letty and Robbie stayed here with us?"

He looked up at me with baffled eyes, "You mean like, live here forever?"

"Sure."

"Rylan and Stacy too? And Uncle Jesse? Everybody?!" he asked, his eyes bright and hopeful.

"Well yeah, Buddy. I need to tell you something," I sat up, trying to figure out how to explain to an eleven year-old that he has a new found sister. "You know how I told you that I used to date Letty before I met your mom?" he nodded. "Well, she ended up getting pregnant, but I didn't know it. Rylan is your half-sister," I said, scanning his face for some type of reaction. I started to panic when he just sat there for a second, eyes casted on the floor.

Then he looked at me with a bright smile and shrugged, "Cool. So that means that Robbie's kinda like my brother, huh?"

"If you wanna look at him like that, I guess so. But you know what that means? You have to treat him like a little brother. You two will be going to school together, and you gotta stick up for him when someone's being a jerk to him."

"I know, Dad. This is so cool I can't wait to tell Hector about this!" he shrieked, jumping off the bed. I shook my head, still unable to get over that ol' Hector was married with a kid of his own, whom just happened to be Koy's best friend.

"Yo Dom, we're heading out to the races. Comin'?" Jesse asked, leaning into the rooms.

"Yeah, I'll be down in a minute," I answered.

You would think that after almost two decades of aging, that we would have grown up and gotten out of the racing scene. Shit, I thought after all the heavy shit that went down that day that I'd never step into onto the tarmac again. But as always, I got pulled back onto the scene about two months after my return. Brick, Reese, Vince, Leon, and Jesse all persuaded me that we'd recreate the Team, come back after years away and dominate the streets, showing the youngsters that the old guys still had it. And every Friday night we proved that.

I stood off the bed and grabbed my leather jacket.

Bounding down the stairs, you could almost feel the estrogen radiating off the walls. Mia was sitting in the recliner, which was reclined, rubbing her swollen belly. I smiled at how motherly she looked, even still pregnant. She definitely had the "glow". I looked around the room, seeing Rylan, Koy and Robbie playing the XBOX. Stacy, Letty, and Lisa were sitting on the sofa, looking at papers scattered on the coffee table.

"Ladies," I greeted, tossing my jacket over my shoulders.

"Where you goin'?" Lisa asked rudely, sticking her tongue out.

"Racin'," I replied, mocking her Southern Texas accent. I liked Lisa right off the bat. For her to be a gorgeous woman, I was even more surprised that I didn't want to have sex with her. When I returned, Leon made sure that I knew she was off-limits, which made me respect her more. If she was able to tame Leon, the ultimate mack, then she had to be something special and I wasn't going to try to interfere. She became more of a sister to me.

"You guys still race?" Letty's voice piped up, peaking up from the papers. I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was more interested that she led on.

"The boys and I, yep. Why, you want in?" I asked, my voice full of temptation. The Letty I knew never turned down an opportunity to get behind the wheel. Then again, that was seventeen years ago.

"No way, man. I have a clean record, I'm keeping it that way. You guys can go out and play cops and robbers if you want, but I don't want any part of it," she replied lamely, waving her hands.

"The Letty I knew never gave a damn about a record. She drove because it was in her heart. No cop ever stopped her passion before," I spat, eyes staring into hers. I didn't intend to put her on the spot, but I wasn't letting her give up everything completely. She just sat that, staring at me blankly, as if she was stuck between two hard decisions. When she finally looked away, I spoke again. "But I guess a big-shot lawyer in a coma could," I said before I was thinking.

"Dom!" Mia yelled, looking up at me from the seat. Her mouth was open, eyes in disbelief of what I just said. I didn't speak, only stared at Letty longer. Her eyes bore hate and anger. I felt selfish and ashamed for bringing up Ryan, especially in front of the kids.

"Fuck you!" Letty shouted, flying up from the couch. "Don't talk about shit you don't know!"

"Letty, calm down," Lisa said, placing her hand on Letty's wrist.

"I'll go with you," Rylan spoke up, her eyes still on the TV. Her jaw was clenched, which could only mean she was pissed. Then again, it was nothing unusual. Since she's been here, the only smile she had was when she saw that Firebird.

"No, you won't," Letty spoke up, her eyes glaring daggers at my head.

"Yes," Rylan stood, "I will. If it'll save him from choking on his teeth, I'll go with him," she said, grabbing a green army jacket from the back of the sofa. I ran my hands over my head, wanting to apologize.

"Have her back before 12:30. If you don't, you'll be choking on your own dick," Letty spat viciously, stomping her way to the kitchen. A mental picture played in my head and I shivered.

"Let's go," Rylan muttered, zooming past me, causing me to stumble backwards.

As I was walking out of the home, Mia grabbed my wrist.

"You deserve whatever you're dished," she whispered angrily.

"I know it Mi," I looked over my shoulder at Stacy and Robbie, who were both looking at me with saddened faces. "I'm an idiot."

* * *

**I know the chapters have been shorter than usual, and I apologize. I'm in my Senior year of high school and I've already been accepted into two colleges, and all the prep work is killing me. I'm trying my best to give those of you who are still reading some great and worthy chapters. It just may take me a little longer then it should.**

**Read and review!**


	16. NOS

**Thanks for the reviews.**

**Chapter 16**

(No POV)

Rylan rolled silently in the passenger seat of the Road Runner, her eyes steadily focused on all of the low imports racing towards the same destination. She glanced up at the tall warehouse buildings and wondered how often the cops busted this place. It wasn't exactly discreet.

Dom had tried to make conversation the entire ride, even apologizing for being a jerk to Letty back at the house. But Rylan wasn't having it. She put up a wall and completely ignored him as if he wasn't there. She even went as far to change the radio station, turning the music up to tune Dominic out. Of course he riled him up, but he bit his tongue and continued the drive. He would have to get focused for his race tonight.

A few minutes later, the six cars pulled up in the new V-formation, with Jesse at the lead. Dom insisted that he lead tonight, as a welcome back gift. The crowd was hyped as usual, groupies and wannabes scattered across the lot. Rylan couldn't keep her eyes off of the cars. This scene was a lot different from the one in Vegas. The cars lined up on both sides of the street, the majority having their hoods up to show their engines off. The girls there extremely scantily clad, which made Rylan physically sick.

The car stopped in the middle of a swarm of Hispanic people, who crowded around the team close. Dom looked over at Rylan, noticing the excitement hiding in her eyes.

"Stay close to one of us, will ya? Don't want your mom throwing a fit if I lose ya," Dom tried to joke, but when she only scowled at him, he killed the engine to the car. "Feel free to exit," he said, stepping out of the car.

The crowd swarmed in even closer, always happy to see the greatest street team around. Dominic shook hands with a few familiar faces and greeted the grotesque women throwing themselves all over him, all the while never keeping his eyes off of Rylan. He knew how the guys at the races were; they were always looking for new groupies. He vowed mentally that the first guy who tried anything would never walk again, let alone race.

"What's up D? Who's the girl?" Hector asked, shaking hands as Dom and the gang approached. This got the attention of some of the racers, who's eyes traveled up the teenager's petite body.

"That's my daughter, Rylan," Dom said loud, proud to say that the beautiful girl came from him. The men gawking at her immediately backed down.

Rylan came and stood next to Dom, lazily leaning on the side of his car. Hector couldn't stop looking at her. He knew he recognized her from somewhere, but he couldn't put his finger on it. When she caught him staring, she raised a glaring eyebrow, licking the corner of her mouth with anger. Then it came to him. He knew exactly who she was!

"Ese, is that Letty's little girl?" he asked, his thick accent blurting aloud the news. "Dawg, where is she? I haven't seen that chica in years, man," Hector smiled brightly to Dom. Dom couldn't help but smile back. Letty and Hector lived on the same block when they were kids, so they were closer than Dom and Hector were.

"She's at the house. I'll tell you more about it later, we need to get started," Dom said, not wanting to discuss the personal issues out in the open. "Leon, what's up on the scanner?" Dom asked through the walkie-talkie to Leon, who was manning the scanners, just like old times.

"We got a robbery in Glendale, hostages taken. Good to go, Dom," he answered back.

(Rylan)

I exited Dom's car, anxious to get a good look at the cars. I ignored the lust-filled looked I got from the men, and the uppity looking I retrieved from the women as I followed Dom to the front of the crowd. I mentally went over my wardrobe, almost positive I was over-dressed. I wore tight jeans that hung off my hips and a dark tank top. Although it was dark and cooler out, it was still humid. I took off my jacket and tied it around my waist.

"So what's going on?" I asked Jess, who stayed close to Dom's other side.

"We're 'bout to start the first race. It's usually small-time racers trying to build a rep. We have three races, the last being the largest. Your dad only buys into the last one," Jesse said, bouncing on his heels. Ever since we returned to L.A., it seemed as if Jesse never stopped moving. It was a trip.

"What if he loses?" I whispered, not wanting to start a riot with these brain-washed losers that my dad called fans.

"He never loses. Your dad hasn't lost a street race since he was like 22. Ain't no way he gonna start losing now," Jesse answered, his face a little flushed.

"That bother you?" I asked, curious as to why he or the others hadn't tried to put a blemish on Dom's record.

He thought for a second, looking over at my father, who was in deep conversation with a bald Hispanic man and some other men. The way the men gave their undivided attention to Dominic was incredible. The way they fed off his every word made this place seem more like a cult than a race.

"We all agreed that we'd race on different nights, never buy in a race that one of the others are already in. We don't race each other. We all know we're great and we don't need to race each other to prove it.," he answered quickly, then paused. "It use to bother me a lot," I focused back on Jesse, forgetting that I had asked him a question. "I hated the fact that he made us just his background accessories. Kind of like a band, but you don't know any of the other members except the lead singer. But now, I think it's just the way things were made to be. I like being the genius out of the bunch, makes me a helluva lot more helpful than him in the garage. We all have our different personalities in this bunch. You mind?" he asked, ready to take me through them.

"Not at all," I replied. I'd much rather be listening to Jesse, than to my father and his followers.

"Ok. See Vince was always Dom's wingman. Always the go-to guy when something wasn't right, or when he needed a second opinion. He liked to watch over us all, protect us. Always there to make sure nobody tried to cause problems or break us up. They grew up together, so it's understood. But after a while, Vince started to crush on Mia. Dom made sure he knew that Mia was off-limits to him. Besides, Mia wasn't that interested in him at first. But after years of turning him down, I guess she knew it was meant to be. I dunno how that works," he waved his hand, obviously confused about his friends. "Leon was always the funny one. When Dom and Letty fought in the shop, he always killed the tension with jokes. When he and I came here, he instantly clicked with everyone, especially Vince. The two were like old friends," I listened as Jesse's eyes went to Leon, who was standing with Vince, pointing out cars. The two men did look like they were close enough to be brothers.

"Where'd you two come from?" I asked, realizing how much I didn't know about Jesse.

"D.C. Step-brothers," Jesse replied with a smile. "My dad married his mom when I was ten. We've been really close ever since then. With my A.D.D it was hard to get through high school without someone picking on me. He was a great big brother. Though I've always had this thing in the back of my mind that..that he was disappointed in me for dropping out of school. He always said he wanted me to go to like M.I.T or something like that. College wasn't my thing, I just wanted my cars," his face illuminated at the mention of cars. I couldn't help but smile at him. He was still a kid at heart.

A loud whistle came over the crowd, which silenced everyone. I looked over at the bald Hispanic man, whom Jesse identified as Hector, was waving his hands frantically.

"Alright, quiet down. The first race is a 1G buy-in. Who wants in?" he announced, the group of people forcing and pushing their way towards him. Before I knew it, I was being pushed in the Road Runner by Jesse. He ran around and jumped in the front seat.

"It's safer in here the first race buy-in. People get a little anxious," he said as we watched people push and shove their way to front of the crowd.

* * *

(Letty)

_Who the fuck did he think he was? Talking to me like I was his child. Trying to talk me into doing what got us in trouble back in the day. I was so stupid for coming back to him. Thinking maybe he had changed. Dom was still the same self-centered asshole he was when I left. I didn't think he'd be that stupid to mention Ryan in front of the kids, even after he saw what happened earlier. Fucking idiot._

I was sitting on the sofa with Lisa and Mia, still staring at the marriage papers. Lisa had asked me earlier that night to be one of her bridesmaid's and I couldn't say no. She was a sweet girl and if she made my boy Leon happy, then she was alright with me. Plus, she was a lot better looking then the rest of the skanks he dealt with and she could actually hold a conversation longer than thirty seconds, so she was great to me.

After I cooled down from Dom's tantrum,I returned to the group. The boys went up to bed and Stacy napped on the recliner.

"She's so cute," Mia said, looking at Stacy, who was curled up in the chair. I looked over at her and smiled. Her dark blond hair was up in a messy bun and her pink lips were parted slightly.

"Yeah. She's a good kid," I thought aloud. Raising Stacy was a lot easier than raising Rylan, that's for sure. She didn't get into fights and she was sweet, but she was definitely a daddy's girl. When she was ten, she asked her what happened to her real mother. She hated us for weeks for lying to her. That's when she started to rebel against us. Fighting in school, becoming materialistic. When she got in high school, that's when the fighting between her and Rylan started. Stacy seemed as if she turned completely evil and hated everyone. I honestly think she added fuel to the fire already burning in Rylan.

"What happened to Ryan and her mother?" Mia asked, nosy as ever.

"When Stace was about five months old, they got a divorce. He told me it was about irreconcilable differences, some bullshit like that. She started writing Stacy when she was eleven, and they started to meet. When I actually met her for the first time, she told it it had nothing to do with irreconcilable differences, but he was beating her. She filed for divorce, and he being from a rich family, says Daddy paid her off for life not to say a word. He got to keep the kid and they could split up without ruining the family name. Dumb bitch chose money over her own kid," I felt fire rage through my veins as I thought about Tonya and Ryan: the two most evil people I had ever known.

"So if she told you that he beat her, why didn't you get out right away Let?" Mia asked, her voice truly concerned. I always did like how Mia played mother to everyone in her presence. She really did love taking care of people.

I thought thoroughly about the question. "I don't know. I guess I thought since I was so tough, that I'd be able to stop him from hurting me or Rylan. I thought maybe he'd back off and change for me. But after a while, the fights came too often and I didn't have the energy to fight back anymore. He became stronger. I was vulnerable and weak," my voice squeaked as stinging built up in my throat.

"Oh come on, girl," Lisa said, rubbing my back. "From the things I've heard around here, you're probably one of the strongest people around. Even more so than that bonehead, Dominic. Because a man hits you, that doesn't make you weak. It makes you a victim. A woman can only take so much of abuse before it becomes too much to handle," Lisa's voice was genuine and kind, which only made me like her more.

I brushed away my tears and looked at her with a smile. "Rylan, she's the strong one. She was the one who got us out. Mia, she bought a gun!" I exclaimed, still in disbelief as to how she would obtain a weapon.

"Oh my gosh! Where is it now?" I thought about her question. I hadn't seen the gun since the night we left New York.

"I have no idea. Hopefully she ditched it somewhere. If not, she damn sure is going too," I answered firmly.

"Besides that, you have raised these kids well. Robbie is the cutest little guy ever," Lisa smiled, brushing her hair behind her ears.

"Thanks," I answered, my eyes traveling lazily to the clock hanging on the wall. It was just striking twelve o'clock. "He better be on his way."

I looked over at Mia, and by the confused and questioning look on her face, I could tell she wanted to speak again. "Why didn't you go with him?"

I was startled by her question. I didn't think she, of all people, would try to talk me into going with her brother. "Same as I told him, I have a clean record. I grew up. It was fun when I was younger and didn't have responsibility, but now I have three responsibilities that I have to be focused on. I don't want jail, or worse, to get in the way of that," I told her in all honesty.

"C'mon, Let. You've been racing and going to races with my brother since you were fifteen years old. Never gave a damn about a record then. What's changed?"

If I knew Mia, she wouldn't stop interrogating until she got what she wanted out of me. She was definitely her brother's sister.

I sighed and sat back on the sofa. "I'm scared shitless. I haven't drove more than two miles over the speed limit since I was 22 years old. I don't know if I have it in me to race again," I spoke, my voice shaky and nervous. I knew speaking those words in this house was almost a sin. "I don't want to get sucked into Dom's bullshit ever again. And I certainly don't want to get Rylan sucked in it either."

* * *

(No POV)

It was around 12:15 and Dom knew it was getting late. If he wanted to keep his manhood intact, he would have to be getting Rylan home soon. They were just finishing up the second race and the last should be starting soon. At the moment, he was stuck talking to Hector about Jr. and Koy and how they are dying to get on the racing scene, even at age eleven. Dom made sure he kept a close eye on Rylan, who was talking to Reese and Leon about a car they were looking at: a black and green CR-X. It was dropped to the ground and had sponsor stickers all over it. He couldn't keep his smile at bay from the happiness on her face. He knew she didn't know much about the race world, but he could easily see her taking over the Toretto legacy at racing.

Of course he knew, as a father, that he was supposed to be keeping her away from such things. But it was in his blood. His grandfather raced, his dad raced, and he wanted to continue the legacy. He just hoped that she didn't make the same stupid mistakes he had. He could tell already that she wouldn't.

"Yo, last race!" Hector announced as Dom was stuck in a trance. Dom had already handed over his 5G's and was standing patiently by Hector. "5G buy-in, winner takes all," Dom bellowed over the crowd.

Rylan looked over at him, eyebrow raised the amount of money up for adoption by the best racer. Though she grew up wealthy, she hadn't seen that much money in cash before.

"I want in," a random racer called out, his Asian features showing through. He handed Hector his money and pointed on his car, an Eagle Talon.

"Even after all this time, you know I'm not slowing up," Edwin stepped in, handing up his money and pointing to his new baby, Buick Grand National. His head was shaved and he had buffed up a lot. Many compared him to Dom, but knew he was nothing on the blacktop like Dom Toretto. Dom smiled and shook Edwin's hand.

Two more men bought in and the race was set. A quarter mile down the course, winner takes all.

"Good luck guys," Dom said with a smile as he walked over to his car. The crowd began to disperse to the race line. Rylan slid in the front seat of the car. She was started to get anxious and her veins were racing with adrenaline. It would be the first time ever seeing her real father do something that she'd appreciate. Sure, she still disliked him immensely, but if he was as fast as everyone claimed, then she could at least respect him for that.

"You riding with me?" Dom asked as they made their way to the starting line. He never allowed Letty to ride with him before. She always said she was a distraction and he didn't need a backseat driver with him while big money was on the line. But he wanted Rylan to get a first hand glance of what he did. What he loved to do.

"You want me too?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

"Sure. You ever been in a race?" he asked, pulling up to the line next to Edwin's Buick.

"Yeah, one. When we were in Vegas, Jesse took me to the races there. Raced in the Ferrari and won," she nodded, looking into Dom's eyes. His body burned with anger that his thunder had been stolen from underneath him. He wanted to be the one to take her through her first race. Who gave Jesse the right to take her to a race? Had Letty known? Rylan noticed his jealously and smirked a little. "I'm sure this one will be better, though."

Dom smiled, his anger diminishing quickly. "It will. Fasten up," he told her as he reached in the backseat and turned on the NOS tanks. He cranked up his Spanish rap music and took a good grip on the steering wheel. "Le, what's up on the scanners?" he asked through the talkie.

"Nothing going on. Domestic dispute, that's about it. It should hold off or a few. Get that race started," Leon demanded through the talkie.

**-X-**

Dom sat anxiously, eyes focused ahead as his peripheral kept an eye on Hector's arms. They were raised high above his head, ready for the drop. Dom's hand was already on the shifter, and just as Hector's arms dropped, he took off like a bat out of hell.

Dom took the easy lead, but Edwin's Buick wasn't letting up. After about three seconds, Dom clocked himself at 102mph, He looked in his rear view, noticing that Edwin was only half a car length behind him. Rylan's white-knuckled grip on the door handle was starting to hurt her hand, but she was too pumped to think about the pain. Rylan's body was glued to the seat as the blinking of the NOS meter began. She shifted her eyes from Dom and the meter, wondering why he hadn't pressed it yet.

Dom shifted gears and stepped on the gas, his car shooting up to 156mph. He knew he could go faster, but he wanted to take it a little slow for Rylan's sake. He didn't want to scare her to death. Before he could give it a second thought, the blue Buick came flying past the car.

"Press it Dad!" Rylan shouted, pointing to the button. She wasn't thinking clearly, but she knew she didn't want to see him lose.

Dom was shocked at what she had said, but listened and pressed the little red button. His car sprung into action, easily passing up Edwin and the finish line. He drove a few more feet as the car slowed and turned around.

The two didn't speak on the way back, but both had shit-eating grins on their faces. As they pulled in to the middle of the crowd, groupies and fans through themselves at Dom. He shook hands and brushed the skanks out of his way. As Rylan met him around the car, he held out his fist, which she bumped happily with her own.

"I almost had that ass that time Toretto," Edwin smiled, leaning on the hood of his baby.

"Good race boys," Dom smiled as Hector handed him his prize money: $20,000.

"Yo, we got cops! Cops! Cops! Go!" Leon shouted, staring the scatter.


	17. What A Trip

**Thanks for the reviews. Long chapter, by the way. I finally saw the new trailer for Fast and Furious and like a nutcase, watched it 20 times. Lol I seriously can't wait for that movie to come out.**

**Chapter 17**

Letty and the girls were sitting in the living room, chatting and catching up on the years behind them when the front door opened. Rylan and the gang staggered into the house, all laughing loudly.

"Shh, the kids are sleeping," Mia quipped, nodding over to Stacy, who was still knocked out in the recliner.

"Sorry Aunt Mi," Rylan replied, giving Mia a kiss on the cheek. Letty smiled slightly. She knew Rylan would connect with Mia first out of all of the L.A gang. Mia was sweet and had a personality that made you want to snuggle up under her and let her spoil you. She would spoil a stranger if she could. "Ma, you should've seen it. Dad was out running the cops like his life depended on it!" Rylan exclaimed, still high off the adrenaline rush.

Letty's fiery eyes turned to Dom, and he only shrugged. She realized what Rylan had called him, and decided that she'd let that tid-bit go for now.

"That's because it was," Leon laughed, nudging Dominic in the arm.

"Alright goons, go home," Dom said, eyes still smiling at Letty. He knew he had made great progress with Rylan tonight, and would give Letty shit for it.

Vince, Leon, and their respective women left the house, leaving Rylan, Dom, and Letty in the living room. Dom stood at the front door with his large arms crossed, trying to read Letty's face. He knew she was still pissed beyond belief. He had to talk to her alone. He didn't want her to go back to New York angry at him because he feared she wouldn't return. He needed to talk to her.

"I'm gonna put her to bed, I'll be back," he said, scooping Stacy's small frame into his arms. He carried her effortlessly up the stairs and out of sight.

Letty looked at Rylan, seeing that race-night glow that she had all around her. Letty remembered that glow. She used to have that glow every day of the week for years. She couldn't deny that Rylan had caught the race bug for sure. From the goofy smile on her face, to the unstoppable bounce of her feet; she definitely would be feeling the high for days.

"Why don't you go get some rest while I talk to your dad?" Letty said as Dominic returned back down the stairs. Rylan kissed her mother on the cheek and bounded up the stairs quickly.

Dominic sat on the recliner, still unsure if she was ready to kill him or not. When Letty chose pacing for sitting, he knew it was worse than he expected. He sat patiently, not wanting to push her over the edge if he could avoid it.

"Who the hell do you think you are Dominic Toretto?" Letty asked, still pacing angrily across the floor.

"Um, Dominic Toretto?" he asked sarcastically, smirking just enough to get a reaction out of her.

"God damnit Dom I'm not joking!" she yelled, tossing the quickest thing she could find, which happened to be her cell phone. It shattered against the wall, breaking into tiny pieces. Letty wasn't much of a cell phone person anyways. "Even after almost eighteen fucking years, you still do things that you know will make me want to kill you."

"Letty I'm sorry for being a jerk, alright? I shouldn't have said what I said in front of the kids," Dom said. Letty knew his voice was sincere, but that still didn't change her mood.

"You're more than a jerk Dom. You're a moron. What if you would have gotten stopped by the cops? How do you think that would look?"

"Letty, be serious. You know them pigs can't catch me. Nobody can, so just chill. She had fun with me, get over it," he stood, standing in front of her. "She's warming up to me and you don't like it. But she's just as much my kid as she is yours,"Dom rubbed in her face, a smirk playing on his features.

Letty stopped pacing with her back to Dominic. She sighed heavily, running her fingers through her hair. She knew Dom was right, but still hated the fact. In his own way, he was being a good dad to her, more than Ryan had been. Letty rolled her eyes and turned around.

"Just don't fuck anything up while I'm gone. Make sure she and Stacy get along. They fight a lot so watch out. Rylan's just as short tempered as us, so if she gets into trouble, you get her out. Make sure she goes to school everyday. If I hear that she's been racing, you'll be lucky if anyone can recognize you. You getting all this Dom?" Letty asked, rambling off things that she had to put up with on a daily basis.

Dom looked ruffled, but managed to nod firmly to her. He already knew Rylan was a handful, but the sadistic smirk Letty wore frightened him. She walked up to him, patting his shoulder sympathetically.

"You have no idea what you're getting into, Dom. Good luck," Letty chuckled before leaving Dom to his own vices downstairs.

* * *

The next morning, the mood was heavy and somber. It was 6:30 AM and every was up and in the kitchen. Dom had called the others over so they could see Letty before she took for New York again. Dom managed to scrap together a breakfast large enough to accustom the extended family. He put on coffee to help awaken the gang, many of whom protested to being up this early. Nobody wanted Letty to leave, but understood the circumstances on why she had too.

"Thanks for coming everyone. I know it sucks to be up this early," she said, her voice raspier than usual.

"Damn right," Vince grunted, nursing a cup of coffee close to his chest.

"When are you coming back?" Rylan asked, her forehead pressed to the cool wooden table.

"I don't know. Maybe in a week or two. Until he's given the OK," Letty answered.

The family gathered around the kitchen, everyone enjoying breakfast, conversing here and there. Some bodies dispersed back to their homes after breakfast, each saying their goodbyes to Letty. Leon threatened that if she wasn't back in time for the wedding next month, that he'd come and kidnap her himself.

It was quickly reaching 7:30 and Letty and Robbie had to get to L.A.X quickly if they wanted to make their plane. Letty had their things backed and already loaded into the cab and was getting ready to head out when Dominic stopped her.

He pulled her into the now empty kitchen, his hand lingering in hers for a second too long. She rubbed her hand absentmindedly as he wandered around the kitchen, his nerves catching up to him. He wasn't sure what to say, or even how to say it, but he knew he needed to say _something._ To let her know that he would miss her and that he wanted her to come back.

"What is it Dom?" Dom turned around, rubbing a large hand down his face.

"I just want you to know that … ya know … I'm here for you. If anything happens up there, just call. I'll be on the first plane there," Dom's voice cracked a little, but he managed to get out the first part. After seeing her eyes warm a little, he found the courage to continue. "I'll miss you," he bit out, heart pounding out of his chest.

Letty's heart melted as the sincerity and love in his eyes. All the anger she had towards him the previous night diminished as she looked at him. He looked like a scared child, vulnerable and weary. It was rare that Dominic Toretto showed any emotion related to vulnerability, but when it came to Arletta, it seemed to be the _only_ emotion he showed.

"You go soft while I was gone or something?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow at him. He let out a deep breath and smirked. "Chill out bro, we'll be fine. And if I need anything, you'll be the first to know."

Dom accepted that as a vague "I'll miss you too". He knew that was the closest he would get, so he smiled and pulled her in a for a hug. When she didn't refuse, he hugged her tiny frame closer to his body, wanting to keep this moment for as long as possible.

As if on cue, the horn to the cab honked twice outside the home. Dom reluctantly let loose of Letty and looked passed her out of the house. The cabbie was leaning against the back of the car near the passenger side, waiting for Letty and Robbie. Letty gave Dom a kiss on the cheek, her lips lingering a second too long for him. She gave him one last smile, then backed out of the kitchen.

On her way out, Letty spotted Rylan talking with Robbie near the cab. She waited until they were finished, and approached her daughter.

"Please listen to your father, Ry. Yes, he's a goon and he tries really hard, but he loves you regardless," Letty said, pulling out of an embrace with the girl.

"I will, Ma. Just try not to stay too long," Rylan replied. She looked into her mother's deep eyes, trying to be as serious and firm as possible. "Promise me you won't let him talk you into coming back? Please Mom. I don't want him to find us. I don't want him to come back into ours lives, especially now that you and Dad are going to hook up again. As weird as it is, I like you and him together."

Letty looked at her in disbelief, an eyebrow cocked.

"How do you figure I'm getting back with him?"

"Oh come on Ma. I know you. You were never that lovey-dovey with Ryan. You're always following Dom around, giving each other those gross, passion-filled looks. It's disgusting," she said, her body shivering at the thought of her parents acting like teenagers again.

Letty laughed at Rylan's face, interested at how observant she had been with her parents. If Rylan had caught on, then that means that the rest of the Team had to be suspicious at how Dom and Letty have been acting over the past few days.

"Whatever you say, Rylan Tyler. I have to go, we have to make the plane. Like I said, please stay out of trouble and listen to your father. Take care of Stace too. I love you," the two hugged one last time before Letty escorted Robert into the car. Rylan watched as the taxi pulled away.

**-X-**

Later that day, Rylan was helping out again with everyone in the shop. Dom asked Lisa to open up the café, with the help of Stacy. Mia managed to hang around for a bit, taking down orders as Lisa cooked them and Stacy cleaned around the store.

Over in the shop, Rylan was working on changing the air filter out of a Toyota. She had kept busy all morning in hopes of not missing Letty too much. She spent her morning fixing front brakes on a Corolla, changing the rims on a Dodge Ram 3500, and assisting Reese with body work for a Buick Grand National. _More like he was assisting me_, she thought.

For some reason, Rylan noticed that Reese had attached himself to her since she arrived in L.A. He offered to help her with every job she had to do, even the simple tasks. At first, she wrote it off as him being helpful and generous. She didn't mind the help in the beginning. But now, it was weirding her out. Why had he been so insistent on helping?

Rylan wasn't naive. She knew boys well and knew they were always up to no good. But Reese was 27 and way too old to try anything with a seventeen year old, right? Sure, Reese was a good looking guy; he had toned muscles hidden under the tattoos, dark hair that probably made women drool, and baby blue eyes to die for. But his hospitality was one step away from being creepy.

Rylan hadn't been the only one to notice Reese's behavior. Apparently Vince had caught on to Reese's infatuation as he worked on a '85 BMW. He dropped the ratchet in his hand and walked over to where they were working. Thankfully, a female customer had Dom's attention. Vince grabbed Reese's arm, yanking him out of the bay doors.

"The hell do you think you're doing, Daniels?" Vince barked, using Reese's last name.

"Um, I was working," he said with a smile.

"I hope you don't think you're working on her," Vince tossed a nod to Rylan, who could now move freely around the car without Reese hovering over her.

Reese looked surprised, "Excuse me?"

"Don't act stupid. Not only is she jail bait, but she's Dom's kid. You think for even one second that you can score with her and he'll be on your ass like white on rice. Don't be stupid," Vince said, poking Reese for emphasis. He pushed past him, only to be stopped by Reese's voice.

"Yo, man, if she wants me, I'm not gonna turn her down. She's old enough to know what she wants," he said, smiling smugly. Vince noticed a glint in Reese's eyes that he hadn't seen before. A hint of evil, a challenge almost.

"Stay away from the girl," Vince warned, his muscles flexing for emphasis as he turned, heading back to work.

* * *

(Letty)

It was around seven that night when Robert and I left for the hospital. My nerves were on edge, but I managed to keep control for Robbie's sake. After being dropped off by a taxi, I pulled Rob to the side before we entered the building.

"Now Daddy's gonna be sleeping, honey. He won't be able to see you, but he can hear you, okay? I need you to be strong for me and Daddy. Can you do that?" he nodded, his tiny body shivering. That was the worst part of New York: January was one of the coldest months and it sucked. I couldn't wait to get back to Cali.

Robbie and I made our way to Ryan's room, following signs and colored arrows. When we reached the room directed to us by the clerk, we were met by a female doctor in a white coat.

"Um we're here to see Ryan Parker. He's my husband," I said to her back. The woman turned around, clipboard in hand. I looked over her, unable to notice how pretty and young she was. She had bright blue eyes and long, dark hair. She was tall and slender, making me wonder why she wasn't a model.

"Hi, you must be Arletta. I'm Denise Clark. We talked on the phone," she held out her hand. She wore a polite smiled that showed her dimples.

"How's he doing?" I asked, shaking her hand.

"Not much better, I'm afraid. The wound was serious. I'm surprised he made it through the night," she said, eyes landing on Robert. She looked at him with a smile of sympathy. "Come on, let's go see him," she guided us into the room.

I hesitantly followed Dr. Clark into the room. My eyes were pinched shut as my heart rate shot up. I felt Robbie's hand clench around mine. I knew he was just as terrified as I was. I remembered what I told him about being strong and I felt like a hypocrite. I finally built the strength to open my eyes. I looked around the room, glancing at all the monitors hooked to my husband's body. I then looked at him, my heart skipping a beat as I did. He didn't look in pain at all. He was shirtless, with gauze wrapped tightly around his torso. There was a tube coming out of his mouth, which I guessed was helping him breath.

"How long will he be out of it?" I asked.

"Well it's hard to tell. A serious heart wound like that could keep him down for a while."

"Are we talking weeks?"

"Maybe. Maybe months," her voice was solemn. She didn't look like the type of person who got use to delivering bad news to people. "I'll give you some time. Sometimes it's helpful to talk to him. It might help him come out o fit sooner," she gave one last smile before leaving.

Robbie walked over to Ryan's bed. He stood in a nearby chair to make him eye level with his father. Tears were streaming down Robert's face, which broke my heart in two. No matter how I felt about him, Robbie adored his father. Ryan might have been the devil to everyone, but Robbie was his everything.

I stood at the door, watching the two, not wanting to interrupt such a precious moment. Robbie told Ryan of the trip, of the "cool cars", and of Jack, Koy's puppy.

"He's so cool, Dad. He's got ears that stick up like this," Robbie motioned ears to match the Jack Russell's. I smiled at how enthusiastic Rob had been. He always wanted a pup, but Ryan denied him the privilege, claiming he didn't want a "mutt ruining everything I've worked for". _Jerk._

After about an hour of watching Robbie talk his head off, the door to the room opened again. It was Dr. Clark.

"Hey what do you say I take him to get some ice cream downstairs? You know, to give you time," she offered, a heartfelt smile on her lips.

"What do you think Rob? Want ice cream?" I asked, knowing it was just the thing to get him out of the room.

"Yeah!" he cheered, jumping off the chair and following Denise out of the room.

I took a deep breath, my body shaking uncontrollably as I maneuvered to the chair next to Ryan's bed. My skin crawled as I took a seat close to his still body. My pulse raced as I watched him, instinctively waiting for him to make a sudden move. Waiting for the punches to come, or the insults.

Instead, I got nothing. Not a peep out of him. His chest heaved up and down slowly, the heart monitor beeping in sync. After realizing how foolish I was acting, I took deep breaths to calm down. _He was in a coma, Letty. He isn't gonna hurt you this time._

"Look at you. Do you have any idea what you've put the kids through?" I asked, staring blankly at the wrap around his chest. Ryan's body didn't react to my words. "Stacy's a wreck, but then again, she has been for a while. Robbie misses you but he doesn't seem affected. How dare you turn the situation around on you? How dare you pull something like this? Was it to get the spotlight back? That's just like you. Everything had to be about you," I sat back, folding my arms against my chest. My eyes were watering, but I ignored the pain as I continued my verbal assault. "I don't know how I let a man … no, an _animal_ like you fuck my life up. Change everything about me. Make me become this stuck-up bitch who was dependent on you. I'm a fucking Gonzales, we don't depend on nobody for nothing," As the tears soaked my tank, I finally snapped back to reality. I had become livid and I wanted to hit something. The tears flowed freely as I got deadly close to Ryan's face, a ferocious scowl plastered on mine. "Guess what? I moved back to L.A. Yeah, I'm from California. It's a shame, you never bothered to ask me anything about my life before I met you. Didn't you wonder where I came from that day at the gas station? Or did you have this planned all along? Find a damsel in distress, marry her, get a couple kids and make her your trophy wife? Well guess what Mr. Ryan Parker? I'm nobody's fucking trophy! Me and the kids are gonna start a new life, and you'll have no fucking part in it. You hear me, you sick fuck!"

I was so caught up in the moment, that I didn't hear the loud beeping of the monitors. Or the rush of doctors and nurses rush into the room. I didn't even notice the tear running down Ryan's right eye.


	18. Starting Over

**Thanks for the reviews. My inspiration for Dr. Denise Clark comes from Remy "Thirteen" from the show House. She's a cutie :)**

**Chapter 18**

(No POV)

"Get her out of here!" Dr. Clark yelled to Letty, shuffling with the heart monitor. A male doctor rushed over to her, pushing her towards the door. She shrugged him off, grabbed Robbie's hand and walked out into the ICU hallway.

Robbie sat in a nearby chair, eating his ice cream happily while Letty paced relentlessly. She was trying to calm her nerves, but knew it wouldn't happen until she was long gone out of New York.

"Is Daddy okay?" Robbie asked, licking his ice cream innocently. Letty stopped pacing, her eyes landing on her little boy. He was so fragile and gentle, nothing like his father. Ryan had been abrasive, rude, and violent, and Letty was thankful that Robert turned out the opposite. The only thing Robert and Ryan actually shared were the blue eyes. Letty hoped that if Robert did have a temper, that it would mimic her Latin roots. It was okay to be fiery, feisty even. It wasn't cool to be an asshole.

Letty kneeled in front of her boy, running her hands through his dark hair. "I hope so," she whispered, noticing his eyes were tearing up. He had been tough through the rough times, but she knew he would crack soon. His cheeks were rosy and his bottom lip quivered.

"I don't want Daddy to die," he shook his head vehemently as the tears started pouring.

Letty pulled him into her arms and held him, cooing in his ear to relax him.

"Calm down, bud. Your Daddy isn't going to die. He's just hurting right now, that's all," she consoled him, unable to stop the tears from flowing down her eyes.

Twenty minutes later, Letty and Robert were still seated outside the hospital room. After she had gotten him to relax and finish his dessert, he was now sleeping soundly in her arms. She had stayed awake for as long as possible while waiting for the doctors to give the word. A few had left the room, not hesitating to give her crude looks as they passed.

Arletta was just nodding off when the room door opened again. Dr. Clark walked out, clipboard in hand. Letty clutches a heavy Robbie in her arms as she stands to talk to the doctor.

"What happened in there?" she asked, sincerely concerned. She didn't look angry, but worried. Letty looked away, slightly ashamed of her tantrum on a comatose ICU patient.

"I lost it. I have a lot of pent up frustration against that man," she replied, clenching on her jaw to relax.

"Ma'am, your comatose husband just had heart failure. Whatever you said to him, literally broke his heart," Letty was surprised by the news. Ryan had never cared about anything she said, so why would he respond to her now?

"Is he gonna be okay?"

"Well we revived him. Took six tries. We usually stop after three, but I couldn't stop thinking about the little guy. But Mr. Parker probably just set himself back a few more weeks in that room. He's responsive, but barely. Listen, visiting hours are almost over. Why don't you go home and get rest and I'll give you a call when anything changes."

Letty agreed and gave the doctor the number to the hotel she was staying at. She remembered that she would have to get a new cell phone soon.

* * *

**Monday morning...**

"Rylan, Stacy, let's go!" Dominic yelled from yelled from the bottom of the stairs. Letty had transferred Stacy's high school transcripts down to California, and she too was now enrolled in the school.

The girls bounded down the stairs slowly, neither ready to go back to high school. Dom smiled at their behaviors.

"Glad your enthused," he joked, leading the girls out to the car. The three jumped in the Charger and took off for school.

"At least we're riding in style," Stacy said boringly, tossing a chuckle at Rylan.

Fifteen minutes later, the girls were pulling up to the high school. Again, Rylan looked around at all of the different cliques of teens. There were the Latinos, the blacks, the Asians, and the small percentage of whites studying near a picnic table. Rylan rolled her eyes, prepared to become another outcast in her high school life. The two crawled out the supped up muscle car, ignoring the stares they got from the different cliques. Rylan knew the kids knew her father, but she didn't want to live off that. He wasn't exactly her favorite person.

"Now I'll be at the garage when school lets out, so I'll have Reese or Brick come get you guys," Dom leaned his head out the car. Rylan rolled her eyes. _Reese is so fucking annoying_, she thought to herself.

"Thanks Dom. Bye," Stacy said, smiling at Dom. He smiled back, grabbing Rylan's backpack before she could run off too soon.

"Come straight to the shop afterwards. With Vince home taking care of Mia now, we need an extra hand," he demanded, rather than asked. Rylan smirked slightly, happy that she was going to get a chance to get her hands dirty today.

"Of course."

Rylan caught up to Stacy quickly, the two of them taking the long walk of fate to the school building. Boys were chasing each other, girls were gossiping. _Typical high school immaturity_, Rylan thought. As she scoped out the cliques, her eyes landed on the Asians, unable to keep her eyes off one in particular. He had deep hazel eyes and spiky hair, which she wanted to laugh at on the inside. His olive skin looked smooth and he wasn't dressed like a buffoon as was the rest of his friends. He wore simple jeans and a black leather jacket over a red t-shirt. His eyes never left Rylan's as she walked into the building, almost smacking into another student. She frowned, but couldn't help taking one last look over her shoulder at him. When she looked, he was smiling at her. She didn't know if it was from her almost extremely embarrassing crash, or if he was really smiling at _her_.

* * *

(Rylan)

I was five minutes late when I found my first class – Spanish. I already knew a bit of Spanish, but I wasn't nearly as fluent in it as I should've been, being half Latina and all. I walked into the room slowly, glancing at the different types of people in the class. More Hispanics than anything.

"Hola, may I help you?" the teacher says, approaching me. I handed her my schedule, feeling nervous and anxious to sit. "Oh okay. Class, I want you to meet Rylan Parker, she's new here."

The class waved, a few greetings were tossed towards me. I gave the whole class one nod. I didn't intend on making friends here, so I didn't want to get comfortable around any of them. It was normal procedure for me; ignore all, and they'll ignore you right back.

"Please, take a seat," the teacher instructed. I sat in the nearest available seat, which was in front of a small, scrawny white kid.

After sitting for ten minutes, listening to the teacher, Ms. Eduardo, ramble in Spanish, I dropped my head on the desk. I didn't understand nearly as much as I thought I would. I was giving myself a headache trying to write verbatim everything she was speaking. I was just about to give up when I felt a hand tap on my shoulder. I turned around slowly, not in the mood to deal with anyone's bullshit.

"This class kinda sucks. She'll ramble like that for days if we don't stop her. Here, take this," he handed me his notebook. His notes were longer and more detailed. "It's the notes for the week. Keep it if you need it. Spanish is like second nature to me," he smiled, shrugging it off.

"Thanks man," I reply, turning back around. The handwriting is sloppy, but it's legible.

I copied his notes, thankful that I had something that'll now take my attention off the teacher and how much I didn't want to be here. At least back in New York I had Cece to get through the year with. Now, I really had no one.

It was about an hour later that the bell to first block rang. I sighed heavily and gathered my things, hurrying out the room onto my second class. Before I made it to the end of the hall, the white kid was yelling for me to wait up. I hoped he --wasn't another one of those creeps that was going to stalk me. I don't have the energy for it.

"Wait up, girl. Dag, you're quick," he smiled, shouldering his backpack.

"Can I help you?" I asked with attitude.

"Name's Toby, but you can call me Turbo. Everyone does," he smiled, obviously proud of his nickname. Personally, I tried hard not to laugh in this dweeb's face.

"Okay, Turbo," I said sarcastically, continuing down the hall. I didn't have to turn around to know that he was still following me.

"Where you from Parker?" he asked from behind me. I rolled my eyes and stopped in the hall.

"I'm from New York. Manhattan. I'm seventeen. Anything else?" I rant, wanting to get away from this kid as quickly as possible. He held his hands up in defense, backing away with a smile.

"Just trying to get to know you. I came here from Oregon a few years ago. I just know it sucks to be the new kid," he said sincerely.

"Thanks, but I don't think we'll be becoming best friends anytime soon. I like to stick to myself," I replied, turning and leaving him in the hall.

**-X-**

Fourth block was rolling around and I was already sick of being at this school. The kids were obnoxious and lod, and the teachers were just as annoying.

I was always out of third block when I looked down at my schedule. I noticed I had Automotive Shop as my last class. I wanted to jump up and down with cheer, but I stayed cooled and settled for a smile. Because I decided to continue staring at the paper instead of where I was going, I managed to have my second extremely embarrassing moment at the high school. I walked smack dab into the chest of some giant kid.

"Watch where you're going, dick!" I barked as I crouched down to retrieve my books.

"Sorry about that," a smooth voice came from in front of me. I looked up and nearly fainted at the beauty that stood before me. It was him! The beautiful Asian boy whom I had my encounter with this morning. "Name's Neiko Tashi," he smiled, handing me the same notebook "Turbo" gave me.

"Bye," I gave a fake smile and walked away. I picked up speed, not wanting to have anymore interaction with him.

"Hey, wait a second," his voice called from behind me. _What was with the boys here? Can they not take a hint?_ If I had any idea where the shop class was, I would've bolted there. "Do you have a name?" he asked as he caught up to me. His eyes pierced my soul. They were a deep greenish-brown that I couldn't stop staring at.

"Of course I do," I said more to myself to get my brain rebooted. "Rylan Parker," I said, tucking my books under my arm.

"Rylan," he repeated, "I like it. So you're new here?" I nodded, finding myself shifting my weight from foot to foot. Nervous habit.

"Look I have to go. I still don't know where my class is and I don't want to be late on my first day," I walked away, looking at the map of the school I got from the principal.

"Well maybe I can help you. What class is it?" he asked. His voice was becoming a constant echo in my head. How smooth but deep it was. How easily my name rolled off his tongue.

"Auto shop," I replied, my body slightly twinging. Where I'm from, guys aren't exactly into girls who work on cars. It isn't the sexiest occupation.

"No shit, that's where I'm headed. C'mon, I'll show you the way," he offered, walking in front of me. Could this day get any worse? I wanted to crawl in a hole and die. _I would have to deal with this cute boy for the next 5 months? Wait, did I just say cute?_

As we walked into the class together, I noticed it was occupied by all boys, including the teacher, who looked a little too young to be teaching. The room froze and all eyes were on us, and at that moment my guard when back up. I remembered that I didn't know anyone here and even Neiko wasn't worth trusting just yet.

"Mr. B, we got a new student," Neiko spoke, his voice echoing off the walls. I handed the teacher my papers.

"Well I see. It's not often we get a girl in here," he smiled, looking back at the boys. A quick cock of the eyebrow and the smirk was wiped off the boys faces.

"Excuse me?" I quipped defensively to the teacher.

"I do apologize. What I mean is we don't have many lovely young ladies coming through this way. Guys, this is Rylan Parker from New York. Please, take a seat," he offered, pointing to a chair behind Neiko. "My name's Mr. Breckner. I'm sure you know your way around a car or you wouldn't be in here. Right now, we're working on these donated taxis. Just pair up with Neiko and you'll catch up," he finished, going back to the taxi he was working on.

"we're stripping them down and rebuilding them. Each one has a different technical issue and on the way we have to figure it out. At the end we're gonna run 'em and see who did the best job. C'mon, I'll get you some coveralls."

I followed him to a back room, where he tossed me a large pair of black coveralls. I knew without trying them on that they wouldn't fit.

"I know they're big but you're the smallest person we've had in this class," Neiko said. I clenched my jaw with a scowl. He was quickly working on my nerves. _What the hell was I thinking?_ "No, I didn't mean it that way. It's just you're not as buff as the other guys in here," he smiled. It was sincere, but my attitude was already riled up, so I couldn't stop the defensive attack.

"Just because I'm not a blockhead like the rest of you beefcakes, doesn't make me any less stronger. Just means I'm not trying to kill myself with steroids," Neiko held his hands up, sighing in annoyance.

"Look, I'm sorry. Just change in here and come out when you're done," he blurted, leaving the room as speedily as possible. I smiled and locked the door.

* * *

(No POV)

Letty and Robbie went back to the mansion to gather up other essentials. When they pulled up to the house, yellow police tape blocked off the front door. Letty pulled it down and opened the door, the smell of blood immediately attacking her nostrils. She gagged a little, but pushed into the house. She sent Robbie straight to his room and told him to stay there. She wanted to find the smell before he did.

First, she went into the living room. It looked exactly the same as the kids left it that night; TV blasting, cups on the coffee table, and car magazines lying around that most likely belonged to Rylan. Next, she traveled to the lobby, which was still as clean as she left it. After checking the whole bottom floor, she moved to the second floor, where the bedrooms were located. The smell grew more grotesque and she almost lost her breakfast on the stairs. Taking a deep breath, she went to her bedroom.

Walking in, she noticed yellow tape surrounding the bed. There were small red blotches on the sheets and walls. She figured the police must has tried to clean the mess. Letty blinked back the tears and began packing more clothes into a duffel bag. She walked to the wall safe and opened it, pulling out three last stacks of cash. She grabbed car keys and the marriage license out and slammed it shut. Tossing everything in the suitcase, she zipped it and left the room, slamming the door behind her.

She did the same in Stacy's room, grabbing things she thought might make the move to L.A easier. She gathered clothes, music, jewelry, and other randoms. Passing Robbie's room, she peeked in. He was playing with his G.I. Joes on the bed.

"Get whatever you want. We won't be coming back," he nodded and began taking apart his video game systems.

The last stop was Rylan's room, where Letty hadn't made it a regular routine to go into. She opened the door, looking around at the room that matched Rylan's personality; dark, strong, but gentle. There were posters all over the ways. Muscle cars such as old Camaros, Chevelles, and Firebirds covered the deep maroon walls. Letty sat on Rylan's bed as thoughts ran through her mind. She hadn't really known anything about her daughter. _What the hell are you doing Letty? Your oldest daughter obviously has some issues and you don't know how to help her. Who knows, maybe having Dom in her life will straighten her out. No doubt they'll butt heads, but he's just as stubborn as her, so he should be able to help._

She snapped out of her thoughts and continued looking around the room. She packed clothes and pulled down the rest of the posters. She noticed something in the corner of her room that she didn't even know Rylan owned - boxing gloves. Letty picked them up, feeling the toughness of the padding. The knuckles of them were worn and ripped. This probably explains how she deals with her anger, Letty thought. She made sure to put them in a special area of the duffel so Rylan would see them first.

"C'mon Robbie, time to go Bud," she said as he stood there with his tiny suitcase next to him.

Letty managed to drag the large duffel bag out of their house and around to the garage. She pressed the key chain, which opened the garage door. There sat her number one baby: her Silvia 240SX. The car she left at Race Wars that fateful night. Luckily, Hector and a couple friends retrieved the cars and held them at his garage until the investigation died down. It sat in Ryan's garage for so long, she wasn't even sure it worked.

"We meet again," she said to the car with a smile. After tossing their things in the car, Letty slid in the front seat. Robbie struggled with the five-point harness, which made Letty laugh. She stuck the key in the ignition, hoping and praying it would start.

After a few nasty coughs, the Silvia rumbled to life.

"Mama, are we going to live with Dom?" Robbie asked, catching Arletta off guard.

"I don't know honey. I just know we're starting over," Letty says, as she tossed the car into gear and headed towards the hospital.


	19. Gettin' Dirty

**Thanks for the reviews. Sorry for the hiatus. The new movie's almost released (Next Week)!!!!!!**

**Chapter 19**

"So what brings you to California?" Neiko asked as the two stripped the seats out of the car.

Rylan had tried to avoid conversation as much as she could. She stuck with simple nods or shrugs, or answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no'. Part of her just wanted to hear him continue rambling, but now he was getting on her nerves.

"My mom is originally from here. She moved to New York before I was born. Shit hit the fan and we came back," she shortened the story by a few hours. He had been questioning her for a long fifteen minutes and it was starting to aggravate her. Rylan didn't care who you were, if you were bothering her, she was going to let you know.

"Shit like what?" Neiko pressed, unaware that this game of twenty questions was lighting a fire inside Rylan that no one would be able to put out.

"Look, Neiko, you are really pissing me the f--" before Rylan could finish her rant, the warning bell for school rang.

"Alright gang, get cleaned up. We'll keep going tomorrow. Parker," Mr. Breckner called to Rylan, who was still glaring daggers at Neiko. He yelled at her again, finally getting her attention. He had noticed her animosity towards Neiko, but decided to let her settle it herself. "Good first day. Glad I didn't have to bust your chops like I do these boneheads. How 'bout coming with a little less attitude tomorrow," he said, tossing her a clean towel to clean off with.

"So what were you saying?" Neiko said, turning back to Rylan.

"Tashi, leave her alone and get changed," Mr. Breckner yelled, winking at Rylan. She mouthed a 'thanks' to him and cleaned up her area.

The final bell rang and the school was dismissed. Rylan didn't bother changing considering she was heading back to work at her dad's shop.

On the way to the front of the school, Rylan passed the last guy she wanted to see: Turbo.

"Aye, what's up Parker?" he said cheerfully.

"Yo Toby, bring your ass!" the familiar voice called from behind him. Rylan looked around him and saw Neiko standing in the parking lot.

"You know Neiko?" she asked. Neiko seemed cool and popular, while Turbo was annoying and geeky.

He laughed and fixed his backpack. "He's my brother," Turbo said.

"How the hell is that?" she asked not intending for it to be so rude.

"He's my adopted bro. Believe it or not, I'm older. Anyways, gotta go. See you tomorrow," he waved, running off to a green CR-X.

Rylan was completely dumbfounded as she ran to Reese's 350z, where Stacy was already standing, talking to the tattooed mechanic. Rylan sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes at him.

"I thought my dad was coming?" Rylan asked rudely, wondering if Dom bailed on her again.

Reese wasn't being discreet as he raked his eyes over Rylan's dirty body. She physically shivered with disgust.

"He was busy with a customer so I offered to come get you girls. Get in," he smiled.

Just for shits-and-giggles, Stacy hopped in the back, leaving Rylan to sit in the front with Reese. Rylan instantly grew a headache, but sat in the car silently.

Rylan tried to think of everything she could to keep from having a conversation with Reese. She noticed and blatantly ignored his gawky looks out the corner out of her eye.

After the drive back to the garage, Rylan tried to hurry out the car before she could be stopped. Before she had a chance to open the door, Reese started talking.

"So how was school," he asked casually.

"Great. Gotta go do homework," she said quickly, reaching for the door handle. She was stopped by his hands on her inner thigh. He gave it a firm squeeze to get her attention. The look in his eyes almost scared her, but she bit her tongue.

"What's up?" she forced through clenched teeth.

"I was thinking maybe we could get to know each other a little better considering your going to be around a lot more."

Rylan wanted to scream but knew from her mother's experience that it never helps, but makes it worse. She wanted someone to come out and help her, but because he was squeezing her thigh, no one in the shop could see.

"Uh. I don't think so. We can hang around the shop, but whatever you're trying is definitely not going to work. Sorry," Rylan bit back a little too distasteful for Reese's liking.

Before he could reply, Dom appeared in front of the bay doors.

"Ry, Reese, we got work to do!" he barked, waiting as Rylan bolted out the car. Dom didn't seem to notice her relieved look.

Or the anger burning in Reese's blue eyes. He was determined to get his girl.

* * *

(Letty)

Robbie and I arrived at the hospital just in time for visiting hours to begin. I approached the front desk, where a blond clerk was sitting, talking loudly on the phone. I stood for a few minutes, going unnoticed by the rude woman.

"Excuse me?" I said, trying to get her attention. When she snarled at me and turned around, I wanted to flip. Instead, I bit my tongue and reached over the counter and hung up the receiver.

"Are you crazy?" she belted, looking at me like I actually was nuts.

_Maybe I am._

"I'm here to see my husband, Ryan Parker," I say, ignoring her attitude. She did not know who she was fucking with.

"You will wait in line like everyone else. I fucking hate minorities, always thinking they come first. Just because you're Mexican doesn't mean you'll get any special treatment," the uppity woman said in a harsh whisper. My jaw clenched as every option of ways I could kill her ran through my mind; the pen she held in her hair, her coffee mug at the desk, even the mere paper clip holding information in a clipboard.

I hesitated before I reached across the counter, grabbing the clerk by the hair. I yanked her over the desk and was ready to start the beat down when a hand stopped mine from connecting with her face.

"Come on Arletta, let her go," a soft voice called from behind me. I turned to find Dr. Clark standing there. "As much as you would love to kill her, you have about fifty witnesses watching you. Let's go see Ryan," she nodded, pulling me off the woman.

"You better thank her. She just saved your life," I spat at the clerk as Denise let me go. I turned around once again, "And for your information, I'm Puerto Rican and Dominican, stupid bitch."

"Fucking Spic!" the woman muttered as I walked away. Before I had a chance to run over and bash her had in, Dr. Clark stepped up.

"How 'bout you get your shit and go find a new job?" Dr. Clark yelled, walking back to me.

I smiled at her viciousness and felt no remorse for the clerk. She was lucky that was all she got.

Robbie, Denise, and I made it to the ICU level of the hospital a few minutes later.

"You start trouble every where you go?" Denise said with a smile.

"Comes with the territory," I laughed.

"How's my Daddy? Rob asked from beside me, clutching onto my leg dearly. He always did know how to bring the seriousness back into a room. Dr. Clark looked at me like she had more bad news.

"His vitals dropped last night. We thought he was doing fine, but he relapsed overnight. It's not looking too good for him."

My heart sank a little, "Is there anything you can do to help him out of it? To make him more comfortable?" I asked, already knowing by the look on her face that the answer was a no.

Denise sighed, "I'll see what I can do. I'll get the team to run more tests," Dr. Clark's beeper went off just as she was about to call out to a nurse. She pulled it out and looked, her face turning ghostly pale.

"You okay?" I asked. She looked truly afraid for her life.

"Uh, yeah, it's my boyfriend. I'll have a nurse take you back. I gotta get this," she gave a fake smile and hurried away.

After about five minutes of watching Robbie interact with Ryan's lifeless body, Dr. Clark passed the room. She looked fairly upset, but gave smiles to co-workers who passed by. At that moment, she looked familiar. I recognized that woman who looked scared and alone. Who put up fronts in front of others, but was hiding pain behind her eyes. I stepped out of the room before she was out of distance.

"Dr. Clark, are you okay?" I asked, stopping her in her tracks. She got herself together before turning around.

"Why wouldn't I be?" her eyes were moist, but she kept her game face on. It was then that I noticed the slight purple ring around her left eye. Make-up seemed to cover it pretty well, and you wouldn't notice if you weren't looking for it.

"If you need someone to talk to you know where I'll be," I offered, feeling sympathetic to the young woman.

She looked as if I figured out her secret, and her face grew with pain. She shook it off and gave a bright smile.

"Thanks a lot," she said before leaving.

I watched her leave then went back into my room. By now, Robbie was lying up in bed with his father, sleeping. I couldn't be feel guilty for Ryan's current situation. If I hadn't left that night, he wouldn't have tried to off himself. He wouldn't be in a coma fighting for his life. Robbie wouldn't weep in my arms night after night over his dad.

I looked at Ryan, my eyes instantly traveling to his hands. His knuckles were bruised and cut, my guess was because of our fight from that night. It always did take a while for his hands to heal up from the brutal beatings he gave me the night before. Immediately my guilt diminished and my attitude was fired up again. If Robbie hadn't been lying there, I was sure I would've gave him a beating that would amount up to the ones I've been receiving for the past fifteen years.

I took a deep breath and relaxed. I stood and walked over to the bed, tracing my fingers along Ryan's body. His physique was nothing compared to Dominic's, but it was still beautiful in it's own right. His muscles were tone and his pale skin color made him look like something of royalty. My eyes raked up his body, landing on his face. His chiseled jaw and full lips were something to die for. Under those eyelids were the brightest of blue eyes I had ever seen. Eyes that seemed genuine on the surface, but underneath it all, held pain and frustration.

"Look at you, man," I whispered to him, even though I knew he wouldn't respond. "You had it all. Perfect job, rich as hell. You could've had the perfect family. But you got lost in that world of yours. You messed up, Ryan. Not me, not Rylan, not Stacy. You did. You were – _are_ a good man at heart, but your priorities are twisted. Get well soon. I still love you," a wiped a tear from my eye, "to death."

I kissed his temple softly and lifted Robbie from the bed, carrying him to the cot in the corner of the room. I crawled in bed next to him and took a break from my worries.

* * *

(Dom)

The shop was unusually busy for the start of the week. Usually Fridays and Saturdays (race nights) were our busiest days. And now that Vince was at home taking care of Mia, we were short a pair of hands at the shop and the store. Thankfully, Stacy and Rylan didn't mind doing work while they were here. Rylan, Reese, and I were working on an engine to a Mazda 6, while Brick and Jesse were helping a customer. Koy was usually sweeping up around the shop, but he was too busy playing with his skateboard. I didn't understand how he got so into that piece of wood, rather than the family's car obsession. _Probably 'cause you won't buy him a car._ I laughed to myself and looked around the shop. I hadn't noticed that Leon was in the back of the shop, a stack of papers in front of him. I looked over at him and he seemed truly stressed. I decided to go over and check on him, considering he had been strangely quiet today.

"Leon, brother, what's up? Shouldn't you be to work on that Supra?" I asked, taking a seat on the edge of the table. Leon ran his hands over his head, then down in his face.

"Yeah I know, dawg. I'm just trying to memorize these vows, man. The wedding's in less than two weeks. Shit, the pressure's on," he replied, a small grin on his face. You could tell he was worried about the wedding and how he'd do. Personally, I thought Lisa and Leon were perfect for each other. When he got too rowdy and drunk, she knew how to tame him. When she got catty, he did the same thing. Trust me, if a woman was able to tie down the King of the Skirts, she was definitely deserving of him.

I gave a wholehearted chuckle, "I still can't believe you're getting married. Weren't you the one who told me the second night we partied together that you were a ladies' man for life? You're exact words were: 'Ain't no broad gonna slow me down. One night stands are my best friends'. Wasn't that you?" I joked, giving a playful nudge to the shoulder.

He finally gave a big smile at the memory, "Yeah, well I was an idiot back then. Plus, I was drunk as shit that night," we shared a laugh together.

"Well, just think. After you two tie the knot, you'll never have to go through it again. Don't worry, we all got your back," I reminded him. "Just think, you can't do any worse than what V did," he seemed to relax as he laughed at the memory. Of course, I was talking about Vince falling off the small platform during his vows. Poor thing got too nervous and couldn't balance himself.

"True," he agreed. I began walking back to my area, but I heard him call to me. "Thanks, Dom.. For everything, brother," I gave a nod and turned around. Making my way back to the Mazda, my stomach growled feverishly. I realized that I hadn't eaten all day, minus a breakfast sandwich. I wanted to spend quality time with Rylan, so I asked Reese to run over to the store to get lunch.

"Come on D, I'm workin' here," he complained, as usual.

"And if you want to get paid for it, run next door and get lunch. The list is already there. And don't rush Stacy, she's probably running the store by herself considering we can't depend on Lisa's sister for any help. I mean seriously, the girl sits on that phone of hers all day long. I don't understand it," I said, loud enough for Leon to hear. He scowled jokingly but laughed.

Reese rolled his eyes but cleaned his hands off, dropping the towel down angrily. I noticed some hostility coming from him and I couldn't understand it. He seemed fine earlier, but with a temper like his, anything could be upsetting him. After he left, I managed to get back to work alongside Rylan, who was especially chill.

"How was school?" I asked. It was a lame start, but it was a typical fatherly question, right?

"Exhausting. The best part about it was shop class, and that was a wreck," she replied, her facial features confirming her weariness. Her eyes were droopy and her skin was paler.

"What do you mean? Guys giving you a hard time?" I found myself becoming very overprotective of Rylan now that I knew she was mine.

She smiled slightly, which I didn't understand, "What, you worried? I can handle myself."

"Well, I know. Just wondering if I needed to bash some skulls in," I gave her a visual, smacking my fist into my open palm. She laughed lightly, something she rarely did. It made my heart melt.

"No, trust me, I can handle them. They are just way annoying," she replied, crawling underneath the car. It still surprised me how well she handled herself around a car. Even the things she didn't know, she picked up on them quickly. She didn't take criticism very well, just like Letty, but always knew how to correct her own mistakes.

"Ay!" Reese's voice hollered from the bay doors. He had bags in both hands and one in his mouth.

"Speaking of annoying," I heard Rylan mutter from under the car.

I wanted to question that further, but my stomach told me that it'd have to wait 'til later. I called a break and everyone stopped what they were doing, including Koy, to come and eat. Reese passed out bags of food, while Jesse grabbed sodas from the minifridge. I sat down in the driver seat of the Mazda, Rylan crashing in front and Koy in back. I noticed Reese walking over and thought that it was the first time that I had alone time with my two kids. I wanted to enjoy it for this lunch.

"Yo Reese. Why don't you go over and keep Stacy company? Even with Laney there, she must be alone," I hollered from the car. His face flushed and he clenched his jaw.

"It's too hot to sit out there Dom, c'mon man," he protested. His eyes traveled beside me to Rylan, where something quickly flashed through his eyes. I didn't know what it was, but I know that I didn't like it.

"Reese, you can always go inside and sit. Go over there, you know Laney loves when you come over," I said sarcastically. Laney couldn't stand Reese's guts and made sure everyone knew it.

"That girl hates me," he smiled a bit, holding his arms out.

"I could understand why," Rylan mumbled through her bites of food. I'd have to figure out her issue with Reese.

"Get out of here," I nodded, rolling the window up and blasting the A/C.

I made sure I got a head start on my turkey sandwich before I started any conversation. The owner of this car probably wouldn't appreciate us eating our messy sandwiches in it, but oh well. That's how things go in our garage. Once my stomach felt like it was satisfied for a while, I wrapped my food and patted my belly.

"So Koy, how's the skateboarding coming?" I asked through the rear view mirror. He rolled his wide, but big eyes.

"Shit's boring. Why can't I work on the cars like you guys?"

"Because you're too young. Wait a few more years, then you'll be able to. And watch your language," I said, smiling at the pout on his face.

"Ry, how old were you when you started working on cars?" he asked her. I hadn't realized that they were close enough for nicknames just yet.

"I didn't actually get into a shop until I was twelve. My best friend Cece's dad owns the shop that I worked at, and let me sit in and help him one day. It was cool as shit," she said with the brightest smile on her face that I had seen.

"Hey, you watch it too," I quipped at her, but she only rolled her eyes.

"Trust me, bro, it's worth the wait," she patted his knee. "I totally forgot. I need to go call my friend. She's gonna flip because I haven't called her sooner."

She jumped out the car before I had time to say anything. Koy jumped up front with me to enjoy the cool air better.

"So you like Rylan being your big sister?" I asked Koy. I hadn't really asked him how he felt lately and wondered if it affected him at all.

"Totally. She's so cool, Dad. She has all the new video games. She lets me in her room to play. She's not mean like everyone else's big sister. I hope she stays around," he absolutely adored Rylan the same way I did.

"Me too Koy," I said, watching her on the company phone. She was smiling, and gesturing with a hands, a way I figured she was only around Cece. "Me too Bud."


	20. That Night

**Thanks for the reviews.**

**Chapter 20**

(Rylan)

I fidgeted with the phone cord while I waited patiently for someone to answer the phone. I knew she would be angry, considering I had only called once since I got to Los Angeles. I told her not to call, that I'd call her when everything was settled down. That was about two weeks ago. Things weren't settling down, but only getting worse. Mom and Robbie were still in New York with Ryan, school sucked, and Reese was becoming a creeper. She would die of all the things I had to tell her. But I was at work and I knew I wouldn't have much time to talk, so I would have to make it short until later.

I looked over at the car, where Dom and Koy were still seated. Koy had already grown on me as another little brother. He wasn't as annoying as I thought he would be. And Dom was growing a spot in my heart quicker than what I wanted. He was protective and agitating like most fathers, but he wasn't as strict. I still wanted to hate him for not being there, but it wasn't all his fault. My mother was at fault also. I'm sure he would've been there if he could've. Dom was a charmer and I know he'd do anything to keep me out of harm's way. Probably why he's trying so hard with me. He and Stacy had bonded already, but I wasn't surprised. She always was the easier one to talk to.

I realized then that I hadn't seen much of Stacy lately. She was over at Mia's. She had clung to the pregnant woman ever since her arrival and loved spending time with her. I was surprised how motherly Stacy turned when it came to helping Mia around the house. Compared to the fist fights she and I had been through, Mia was getting the royalty treatment.

"Helllooo?" a voice triggered me back to reality.

"Cece, what's up girl?" I asked, happy to hear from her again.

"Rylan Tyler Parker! What the fuck girl?! You said you'd call me in a few days? It's been weeks!" Cece reacted just the way I thought she would. I pulled the phone away for a second as she continued her rant.

"I'm sorry man, shit in L.A has been pretty crazy," I laughed.

"Well, what the hell is up? What's it like down there?" she asked, her voice giddy. The anger she was carrying before was long gone.

"Ah man it's great. It's stinky, hot, dirty, beautiful and relaxing. I wish you could see it, Ce."

"I'll be coming to visit in a few weeks. Anyways, how's your new family?" she asked with a smile, expecting me to talk shit like we always do.

"Surprisingly Ce, they aren't that bad. My new little brother, Koy, is pretty cool. My dad owns this garage and a bunch of his goons work here. And I have an aunt, Mia, who's six months pregnant with twins. I tell you what, she's the happiest person I've ever met in my life. It's sickening," I laughed. I had a better connection with Aunt Mia than anyone else here so far. "Then there are the goons my dad works with. Apparently a few of them have been around since my mom was a teenager."

"Awesome. What about the men? Any hot guys?" Of course. Always like Cece to worry about the hot guys rather than her best friend.

"They aren't too bad, I guess. There is this one guy-" before I was able to finish my sentence, Cece interrupted me.

"I want details! Everything! Is he white? Spanish? Is he buff? Is he a jock? Does he play sports? He's not creepy is he?..." the questions continued rambling so quickly that I was dumbfounded of which one to answer first. I laughed at my confusion and waited for her to get tired of talking.

"Cecelia! Shut up!" I had to use her full name to get her attention. She stopped abruptly, breathing heavily into the phone. "Look, I'm working in my dad's shop. I promise I'll call you later to give you details. Tell your dad I say hey."

"Ok, I will. Hey, speaking of which, I heard about Mr. Parker. Bummer, man. How's your mom?" I felt my good mood crash at the mention of Ryan. It made me curious just how many people knew what happened. Then again, he was a big deal in Manhattan.

"She's up there with him now, with Rob. She took it pretty hard," I recalled my mother sobbing in Dom's arms.

"Damn, girl, that sucks. Hope all gets better."

"Thanks Ce. I gotta go. Bye girl."

I hung the phone up on the receiver and tried to gather my thoughts before I had to go back underneath the Mazda. Something was wrong with the engine that was causing the car to stall and the hum loudly. Also the steering column was going out and it would have to be fixed before it could go back on the road. The shop was hot as hell and having Reese hovering over me every two minutes was aggravating the crap out of me.

I took a deep breath before I shook off my bad mood and walked over to the Mazda. My dad was calling the shop back into order as everyone tossed away their trash. I got down on the creeper and rolled back under the car, ready to get this done and out the way. I went to work, clearing a clump of dirt from the bottom of the engine. I realized that I wasn't going to be able to get anywhere under here, and it was way too hot, so I rolled out from under the car. The engine would have to be pulled out from the top.

"Yo Dad, can I get some help?" I called, my insides tingling at the word Dad. I rarely called Ryan dad, simply because he was too much of a jerk to deserve that. But it seemed so natural to call Dominic, a man I had only known for a few weeks, Dad.

He ran to my aide right away, leaving behind a customer he was casually speaking with. "What's up?"

"To get a better look, we gotta take this front bumped off and get that engine out of there."

He had a twinkle in his eye that matched the smile on his face. I wanted to be insulted, but I had a feeling it was a sort of compliment. I rolled my eyes. "Well?"

"Go out to dinner with me tonight. Just you and I. So we can catch up," I was thrown for a loop by his offer. I wasn't sure if I was comfortable around his just yet. We didn't spend much alone time together, unless we were the last ones in the shop at the end of the day. I could tell by his descending smile that he was worried I'd say no.

_What the hell._

"Ok, but you're paying," I said in all seriousness. His eyes sparkled even more and I couldn't help but smile. At that moment, the sun brightened, gleaming it's way into the shop.

"Holy Jeśus, that's hot," Jesse said, shading his eyes with his hand against the sun.

"Can I get some help with this car now?" I whined.

* * *

(No POV)

Dom sat patiently in his recliner as he waited for Rylan to finish getting ready. Much to his happiness, Brick, Reese, and Jesse were here to babysit Koy. Dom knew just how much trouble Koy could get into when he was home alone. They decided playing video games and ordering take-out would do for the night until Dom and Rylan returned.

Dom wanted to take her somewhere he knew she wouldn't get bored. She seemed like her attention span was only vibrant when it was something she truly cared about. He wanted to take her somewhere his father took him when he was younger to talk about life. A place he still went to clear his mind of the garage and the gang's bullshit.

"You ready?" he turned and saw at the bottom of the stairs. She was dressed casually, wearing loose jeans and a tee shirt. That was fine with Dom. He was dressed pretty low-key, wearing jeans and a leather jacket over a t-shirt.

"Yeah," he said standing. He had an idea. "Grab those keys," he told her, pointing to the keys hung on the wall near the stairs.

She grabbed them effortlessly and followed him out the back door.

"Guys, don't cause any damn trouble!" Dom peaked in and yelled in the house.

The two walked to the small garage next to the house, which had a bright light on above it. He opened the door to the garage, revealing his beauty, the '68 Charger. Dom always found that the Charger put the brightest of smiles on his face.

"You say you can drive right?" Dom asked over his shoulder with a sly smile. Rylan looked from him and the Charger and nearly jumped out of her shoes. "Oh no, you aren't driving the Charger. That's your car for the night," he smiled, pointing to the Road Runner. The Road Runner had been restored since my first night in Japan, the night I met the new D.K. It had a new paint job, which featured a metallic black coat with white racing stripes. It was equipped with leather bucket seats with the D.T initials in the headrest, a new R.R emblem on the front, and lightning bolt vinyls, courtesy of Sean and Twinkie.

"I don't understand," Rylan asked.

"Just keep up," Dom smiled, sliding in the Charger. The giant road to life as Dom floored it down the driveway.

Dazed and confused, Rylan jumped in the Road Runner and punched it out of the driveway. Rylan raced down the street after the black Charger, weaving in and out of traffic. She kept a close eye out for cops and punched it into high gear, the adrenaline already making it's way to her veins.

"The hell are you doing Dom?!" Rylan screamed, struggling to keep up with her father. She had seen him race and demolish the competition, but being right there behind him which not only scary, but exhilarating. Rylan knew Letty would murder her and Dominic if she found out what they were doing. Questions ran through her mind as she made sharp turns and passes. Where were they going? What would happen if she got pulled over? Should she keep following, or pull over? Rylan didn't know, but she didn't want to find out.

Dom's heart raced as he made sure Rylan was right behind him. He wanted her to have fun, but he didn't want to get her injured either. He made a sharp left turn onto the highway, and slowed a little to make sure she caught it. Once he saw the Road Runner gaining on him, he shifted gears and burned rubber down the highway. He weaved in and out of traffic, making sure not to try a stunt too dangerous for Rylan. Then again, wasn't going 80-100 miles per hour on the open streets dangerous?

Dom looked down at the walkie-talkie hooked onto the dashboard. He lifted it and buzzed into Rylan's car.

"You all right?" Dom asked, unable to keep the smile off his face.

"What the hell are you thinking? Do you know how much trouble we could get in? Mom finds out and you're dead!" Rylan yelled, only causing Dom to chuckle more. "You think this is funny? Where are we going?"

Dom managed to relax as he slowed to get off the exit, "We're almost there. Just take it easy on my baby," he said, clicking off the talkie.

Ten minutes later, Dom turned down a dusty road that led out onto an open field. It was covered in sand and was extremely quiet, just the way Dom had known it to be. With the exception of a few street lights here and there, the outstretched land was scarily dark. The roars of the Charger and the Road Runner were the only things that could be heard probably for miles. Dom smiled as the open field welcomed his aura again. He pulled over and got out, waiting for Rylan to park next to him. When she finally did, she had the same look on her face that Letty did the night of the last heist – unsure and frustrated.

"So you wanna tell me where we are now?" she asked, leaning against the car with a scowl on her face. She was every bit of Letty and it burned Dom up inside. He couldn't miss Letty more than he did now.

"My father, Anthony Toretto, used to bring me here when I was a teenager. When I was being a hard ass, he took me here to relieve stress. Even when we just wanted to be alone, to talk about life, this open field was my second home. This is where I learned to drive. This," he held his arms open, "is the platform on which I learned how to race."

"You mean you weren't born being the wheel of a muscle car?" Rylan asked sarcastically with a smile.

"No, smart ass, I wasn't. This was where I learned who I was as a person. As a man, and as a racer. Now, I want to know who you are."

"Honestly, I don't think we're at the stage where we reveal all our deepest, darkest secrets."

"Look Ry," Dom walked around to the Road Runner, leaning against the Charger facing Rylan, "Whether you like it or not, I'm your father. I could've easily said 'Fuck Letty, I don't want nothing to do with her or Rylan'. You think I asked for this? You think I wanted to find out that I had another kid out there? One that I didn't even know about?" Dom's temper flared without his control.

Rylan scowled, feeling offended,"Sorry to spoil your great life. Trust me, I can easily be gone back to New York," Rylan turned to get in the Road Runner. She didn't come to L.A to be unappreciated. She came to find a father she didn't know, and to get her mother out of a bad situation. Before she fully entered the car, Dom's paw was on her shoulder, stopping her.

"I'm sorry, hun," he cooed, his voice soft and gentle. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just, all this shit was sprang on me at once. It's … it's hard, you know. Because now I have to alter my little schedule I had working out. I have to somehow, fit you and Letty, back into the picture," he said. "Not that I would have it any other way. I don't care what I have to do. I won't let you two out of my life again."

Rylan felt tears prick at her eyes as she stared at her father. The sincerity in his eyes let her know that he meant every word. He really did want her to stay. She looked at his face, actually studying his features that mirrored hers. The deep brown eyes that seemed to go on forever; the small but full lips; love for everyone that shined in those eyes. Rylan couldn't help but smile. She knew he had made his way into her heart, even if she didn't want him there.

"Whatever. What do you want to know?" she asked, jumping on the front of the Road Runner, lying back on her arms. Dom clenched his jaw at the way she was treating his baby, but he ignored it and followed suit, crawling up beside her.

"When were you born?" was the first question. He would hate to know he missed her latest birthday.

"October. Halloween baby," she said, looking up at the stars. They looked extra bright to her for some reason.

"That explains a lot," Dom joked, receiving a smack in the arm. "July 18th ," he said.

"When did you and my mom meet?" Rylan asked out of the blue. Dom was expecting her to ask something about his childhood. Then again, Letty was his childhood.

"I was about fourteen and she was just turning ten. She was a shy kid until she started showing up at the house all the time. I'll be honest, I couldn't stand her back then. She was annoying. Thankfully she was Mia's friend and not mine," Dom smiled, reminiscing.

"Well how did you two hook up?" Rylan asked bluntly. _She's definitely mine and Letty's kid, he thought._

"I thought I was asking the questions?" Dom shook his head. "We didn't just 'hook up'. I knew she liked me when we were little, but I had my ass to far up my ass to think anything of her. I had different girls coming through my door, left and right. My dad hated it, told me I needed to pick one girl and settle down for a while. Said he preferred it was Letty. Apparently, everyone around me could tell she loved me," Dom started, smiling at the memory.

"So you're saying you've always been a cocky s-o-b?" she asked with smile.

"Shut up," he replied. "Anyways. Well, she started dating when she was about sixteen. Talking to this idiot boy who didn't have a great reputation with girls. Even if my bedroom door was revolving, I hated seeing her with that jerkoff. That's when I started noticing Letty. Noticing that she wasn't the ten year old tomboy anymore. She had curves and wore skirts. After the races one night, she came back to the house for the after party. I drug her to my room, we fought over her boyfriend, and well..." Dom paused, knowing he shouldn't disclose the rest of the info. "The rest is history, so to speak."

Dom took a deep breath, trying hard not to think of that night. He could remember it as if it were yesterday. He and Letty were savages that night.

"Quick round of questions, 'cause we got something to do," Dom said, sliding off the car and standing. Rylan sat up the same, still seated on the hood. "Police record?"

"Surprisingly, no. You?"

"Two years in Lompoc."

For some reason, she wasn't surprised. "For what?"

"Aggravated assault. My dad was killed in a stock car race when he was rear-ended purposely, going 180 miles per hour. I saw the guy a week later and beat him with a torque wrench," Rylan was shocked with wide eyes. She knew Dom had a temper, but he seemed so soft and gentle. She couldn't picture him nearly beating a half to death. She couldn't blame him though. She would have probably done the same thing.

She gave him a scrupulous look and nodded. A way of saying 'I understand'.

"That why you're so soft?" Rylan asked, just to bug him.

"I'm not soft," Dom said defensively.

"Oh. So you're hard?" Rylan asked skeptically, a small chuckle in her voice.

"Yes, I'm-" before Dom could finish his sentence, he realized what she had did. His face reddened with embarrassment. Rylan burst in laughter, which only relaxed Dom's flaring temper. She looked like Letty when she smiled.

"So no boyfriend?" Dom asked with an eyebrow. Rylan nodded a confirmation.

"Girlfriend?" he asked, a small smile.

She gave him an annoyed look, "No. You? Or are you a fudge-packer?" Dom nearly choked on the Red Bull he was drinking.

"Watch it, mouth. No, I don't have a girlfriend..." before Rylan could insinuate anything, he continued, "or boyfriend. Final question..." Rylan waited for another stupid question. She liked the way they could bicker back and forth. She was enjoying it. "Are you going to give me a chance to win your mom over again?" Dom's question was serious, and it caught Rylan off guard.

Dom knew how children could be protective of their parents. And if Rylan was anything like Letty (which he knew she was), she would absolutely loathe the idea of Letty being with someone who would hurt her. He knew he would need Rylan's approval to pursue Letty. It would save Dom the trouble of dealing with a pestering daughter.

"No," Rylan answered after a few seconds of thinking. Dom's heart dropped into his shoes. "I'm gonna give you a chance to win all three of us over. We come with the package.


	21. Fast Changes, Furious Decisions

**Thanks for the reviews. Before I go any further, I must say that Fast and Furious was the greatest movie I've seen in years. Very creative and action-packed. Although I'm saddened about the loss of my favorite character, Dom Toretto picked up the slack! What a beautiful man he is. If you haven't seen it, you better get moving!**

**Chapter 21**

(Vince)

I nursed my beer closer as I slouched in front of the television. Mia, Lisa, and Stacy were upstairs decorating the nursery for the twins. I knew I should have been helping, but anytime I went remotely close to the room, Lisa would give me a tongue lashing. So I decided beer and a Nascar race would settle my anxiousness.

I was bored. I missed work. I hadn't been to the garage in a few days because I had to stay home and take care of Mia. Don't get me wrong, I loved staying home with her. But I hadn't had my hands dirty in days and I was about to lose it. I wanted to get under my car and go to town like usual, but I couldn't.

I stood up to toss my empty Corona bottle and get another one when there was a knock at the door. I looked over at the clock on the wall, which read 10:45. Who would be showing up this late at my house? I grabbed my beer anyways and walked over to the door, looking through the peephole. Green eyes stared back at me, eyes that could only belong to one person I know...

"Leon, what's up brother?" I asked, pulling the door open. Finally, I had one of my boys here that I could actually talk to.

"Not much, dawg," Leon replied, stepping in with a case of Corona. He was smiling, but his eyes seemed distant. "The boys are hanging out with Koy at Dom's house. I need help with something."

"Where's Dom and Rylan?" I asked. I knew she didn't like Dom very well, so they couldn't have went somewhere alone, could they?

"He took her out. Said something about connecting with her, I dunno," he said, flopping down on the sofa. He instantly pulled a long-neck Corona out the case and lit a cigarette.

"Come on Le, you know Mia would kill you if she knew you were smoking in her house. C'mon," I said, leading Leon out the back door. We sat in the patio area, enjoying the cool L.A breeze. "So what's up man?" I asked, chugging down half my beer in one swallow.

"This whole marriage thing, dawg. I don't know if I'm ready for it," Leon's voice was broken. I was shocked at what I was hearing. Leon was pumped about jumping the broom a few weeks ago, and now he had cold feet.

"What do you mean? You love Lisa," I reminded him.

"With everything I have. But marriage is a huge step. I used to have girls walking in and out my bedroom door."

"So what, you wanna go back to that life? Man, you got a good girl. Don't fuck it up Leon!" I didn't mean to yell, but Lisa was a good woman and Leon should be lucky that she would give him the time a day. Lisa wasn't uppity, but she had just the right amount of class. She could hang with the boys, but she was just as girly as Mia. Leon would be an idiot if he screwed it up.

"I know, V! I know, dawg. I'm just scared that I'll do something to mess it up. I know she can do better than me? I mean, what the hell do I have to show for myself? I'm a 39 year old mechanic still street racing like a teenager. A high school drop out and runaway. Hell V, I ain't got shit," Leon poured his heart out, polishing off the rest of his first Corona.

I knew how he felt. I had the same self-pity moments just days before my wedding. The same jittery, anxiety feelings like marrying Mia would be a mistake on her part. Like I wasn't good enough. But it took a few kicks in the ass and seeing her in her wedding dress to let me know that what I was doing was not a mistake, but a miracle.

"Look, brother. You got a good thing with Lisa. She loves you, man. If she didn't want you, she wouldn't be here. Simple as that. You got a lot going for you bro, You have a good job at the garage, you own your own house, you're on the straight and narrow. Plus, you haven't slept with anyone since you met her. Trust me Le, when it comes to you, that's a good thing. Lisa's a lucky woman."

**-X-**

(No POV)

Lisa, Mia, and Stacy were just putting the finishing touches up on the baby blue paint in the twins' room. They were enthralled in wedding and baby talk, when Stacy heard voices coming from outside. She listened closer, wondering if she could recognize the voices. She moved near the window, seeing Vince and Leon sitting in the patio area, drinking cool beers. Stacy waved a wobbly Mia and Lisa over, managing to crack the window a bit to hear better.

"Nah, V, I'm the lucky one. She chose me. After seeing me drunk off my ass, she could've bounced and I wouldn't have seen her again. But she stayed. She stayed for me, bro," Mia and Lisa awed as Leon gushed about his woman. "I just wish I knew I was sure about this whole thing. Dedicating the rest of my life to someone isn't as easy as it seems," at these words, Lisa ran from the window in tears. Mia tried calling after her, but it was no hope.

Lisa was lying face-first on Mia and Vince's bed. The tears sprang instantly. She knew Leon was too good to be true. The sweet talks, buying her nice things, all over it was for nothing because he wasn't in it for the long haul. He was the one who proposed! He took her to dinner, and to the top of his favorite hill in the desert and proposed to her. He put the three-carat diamond ring on her finger. She never pushed Leon into marriage. She didn't bring it up until after three years of knowing and loving him. Lisa knew Leon's reputation. She knew he was a typical L.A racer who was notorious for the many girls he could have in his bed at a time.

But to her, he seemed different. He was sweet to her. He pulled out her chair, paid for dinner, opened doors … all the clichés and more. So why did he choose now to hurt her?

"Oh Lisa, it's okay babe," Mia soothed, finally making it to the bed. "Maybe we just took that out of context."

"Yeah. Please don't cry," Stacy tried.

"You heard him Mi! He doesn't want this! If he isn't sure by now that he wants me forever, then he'll never know," Mia's eyes watered for her friend. She didn't know what to say to help. Her emotions were on overdrive and she was barely keeping it together herself. "I gotta get out of here. I'll see you later," Lisa jumped out of the bed and gathered up her wedding randoms. She ran down the stairs as quickly as possible, wanting to get out of there unnoticed.

No such luck.

"Leese, where ya going?" Leon's husky voice called from behind her. She had just reached the door was only a few steps away from the one man who hurt her most. She didn't turn around, but she quickly wiped away her tears. "Babe, what's wrong?" his voice was so caring, it only made her heart hurt more.

"Nothing. I'll see you at home," she opened the door, ready to bolt as soon she had leeway.

"You heard, didn't you?" his voice was broken and scared.

She didn't reply, but only nodded. Leon lowered his head, knowing that they had to talk about it now. There was no getting around it.

"I'm sorry Leese. I love you," was all Leon could say. His heart hurt too much for him to form any other coherent words.

"No you don't," Leon winced at the harshness in her voice. "If you loved me, you would be positive that this was what you wanted. And clearly, you aren't," before Leon could stop her, she was gone like that.

Leon felt tears slide down his fuzzy cheeks, but didn't bother to stop them. He didn't even wipe them away when Vince's hand landed on his shoulder.

"How 'bout you stay a while and sober up, then go after her?" Vince offered, leading Leon away from the door and to the couch.

* * *

(Letty)

I was cuddled on the sofa of our hotel room, aimlessly flipping through the television channels. It was a little past three A.M, and I knew nothing would be on except infomercials. Robbie was sleeping, heavily snoring just like his father. I couldn't help but smile. I turned back to the idiot box, dozing off after a few minutes. I was almost completely out when a loud ringing came from across the room. _What the fuck was that?_ After the fuzziness wore off, I realized it was the hotel room phone ringing.

"Who the fuck is calling me at this hour?" I mumbled, hurrying to the phone before it woke Robbie. It was bitch trying to get him to sleep. "Who is this?" I asked rudely after picking up.

"I'm sorry for calling this late," the voice on the other weeped heavily, so much that I could barely understand. "It's Dr. Clark."

I instantly perked up. I didn't think she would actually call. I knew how it was if someone tried to help during a domestic violence situation; it never ended well for anyone involved.

"What's going on Doc?" I asked, truly concerned.

"You mind meeting with me somewhere? I need someone to talk to. I have no where else to go," she cried, which broke my heart in two. "If it's too late, it's fine. I can go to the hospital to get away."

"No, honey, it's fine. I wouldn't turn someone away. Especially someone so helpful as you. Why don't you pack a bag and come stay here for a while? We'll sneak you in."

A few sniffles came from the other end, "You mean that? Going to the hospital isn't a problem."

"Honey, that'll be the first place he looks for you. Come here," I was surprised how strong and useful I was being for her.

After giving her the room number, we hung up. I quickly dressed and tidied up the hotel room. Robbie was on a sugar-high and turned into the Tasmanian Devil and turned this room into a play pin. I grabbed my smokes and the key to the room and snuck out silently.

Ten minutes later, I was sitting outside the hotel, lighting up my second cigarette. It was a bad habit that I had picked up after Robbie was born. I ignored the health issues and nasty taste because it killed my nerves. I knew I had to help this doctor. Maybe if someone had been there to save me, I wouldn't have gone through what I did. I shivered in the night as a black BMW pulled up outside the hotel. I promptly noticed that it was Dr. Clark and I put my smoke out. I watched as she carried an overnight bag on her shoulders.

She didn't look like the same gorgeous woman I had met a week ago. The bruise around her eye was darker, and her bottom lip was split right down the middle. Her expression was exhausted, but her eyes said that she was relieved. I shivered in the New York weather as she approached.

"I'm sorry that I had to get you involved, especially at this hour," she said, her voice shaky.

"Don't apologize. Let's get you coffee."

We went into the hotel and walked to the lobby, which always kept fresh coffee and donuts, regardless of the hour. After filling two Styrofoam cups with coffee, we hopped on the nearest elevator. A few minutes later, we were back at my room, where Robbie was still sleeping soundly on the bed. We settled on the sofa and I gave her a chance to relax until I started questioning her.

"So what happened?" I stated, not beating around the bush.

Denise hesitated for a moment. "I got in a fight with my boyfriend. Bet you couldn't already tell that, huh?" she joked dryly.

A small smile curled at my lips, "What happened?"

"I just got off work around midnight and he was still awake, drinking with his cop buddies. "

"He's a cop?!" I asked, stunned. I knew cops were pigs, but I thought they had more integrity then that.

"Yeah, can you believe it? Yeah, he used to be stationed in L.A, but something went down and he came here," she waved her hands, unsure of the situation, "Anyways. I told him to excuse his company because it was late and he had to work in the morning. Of course, men don't like to be one-upped in front of their friends. So he threw a fit. The guys left and I went to take a shower. Before I could step one foot out the tub, he was on me. Thankfully, he was too drunk to do any real damage. He passed out about an hour ago, that's when I called you."

I felt for the doc. I knew how it was to be tortured by the man you love and be unable to do anything about it because of his occupation. Ain't no way she's gonna get help with her boyfriend being a cop. It's his word against hers.

"You know, I was going through the same thing with Ryan," she looked at me with surprise. "He used to beat the piss out of me daily for the last seven or eight years. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. My oldest daughter got a few cars and we left him about two weeks ago," I relived the horrific memories that flashed through my head. My temper flared up.

"So is that why he...?" she trailed off, not wanting to mention the suicide attempt. I nodded, sipping my coffee. We sat in silence for a while, enjoying our drinks. A million thoughts raced through my head. I wanted to help the doctor but I wasn't sure how. Then it came to me.

"Do you want out? I mean, away from him?"

Her eyes were sad, but her answer was firm, "Hell yes."

"Can you transfer? You know, like work at a different hospital?"

She was confused, "Yeah. I'll need a referral and it'll take a few days to get my things faxed down. Why? What have you got in mind?"

"Wanna go to Los Angeles?" I asked with a smirk.

Denise thought about it for a moment. I thought she would turn the offer down, and I felt bad. But when a bright, cheeky smile came upon her face, I knew she had decided.

"How soon can we leave?"

* * *

**Sorry so short and crappy, but I'm getting a little lost. I know exactly where I want to be with this, but can't figure out how to get there. Also, I'll be bringing in another character, and some of you might not like what I'll do with them, but I like to try new things. The next chapter will be up soon. Please R&R!**


	22. Amateurs

**Thanks for the reviews. Good to see people are still reading this. By the way, it's taking me forever to get this updated because I'm graduation on the 23rd and I have been stuck doing crap for that. I hope you like this chapter, I really did.**

**Chapter 22**

_Saturday night..._

It was a Saturday night, race night in the Toretto household. Dom, Vince, Brick, and Reese sat on the sofa waiting for the call from Leon and Jesse. They went to the race site to make sure cops hadn't been casing the area. It was a race night ritual to prevent a surprised bust on the event. If cops were staked on (like that had been on many occasions), then Jesse and Leon would trick them into thinking they were the only ones out, and would inadvertently lead them off elsewhere.

"What are you ladies going to do while we're gone?" Brick asked, adjusting his jersey on his 6'2" frame.

"Probably watch Lifetime movies and eat ice cream," Reese joked, causing a rift of laughter from the boys.

"Hardy har har," Lisa said, sarcastically. "Actually, we're going to sit here and talk about how small your dick is," Lisa replied, making Stacy, Mia, and Rylan to crack up with laughter.

"Alright enough," Dom interrupted, still chuckling from Lisa's comeback.

"What time are we leaving?" Rylan asked, pretty pumped about the races. She was getting hook to the lifestyle quickly.

"We," Dom pointed to himself and the guys, "are leaving at eleven. You are staying here with the girls. Now Mia, Koy's at Hector Jr.'s house. Call and make sure he takes his meds," before Dom could finish his instructions, Rylan interrupted him.

"Why can't I go?" she asked.

"Because I said so," Dom retorted, the same attitude returned. "It'll be way too many creeps there," Dom said.

"Trust me, that'll be the last place you have to worry about creeps," she replied, her eyes landing on Reese. He scowled, but turned away from her. "Look, I can take care of myself, Dom. I just wanna go hang with you guys."

"Come on D, let her go," Reese pushed, hoping inside that Dom would say yes. He would be able to get closer to her while Dom was racing. Rylan rolled her eyes, but if the Creep helped her get to the races, she would save his ass-kicking for later.

"No way Rylan. Stay here," Dom said, firmly. Rylan looked to Vince, whom she had grown affectionately close to, for help.

"Sorry, darlin'. Can't say I don't agree with him," Vince said, putting his hands up in surrender.

At that moment, Dominic's cell phone began ringing. "Hello? … Everything good? … Okay," and with that, he hung up. "Go time boys."

"Tell Leon to quit calling me, I'm not gonna pick up," Lisa said defiantly before the boys got up. She hadn't talked to him since yesterday night and didn't plan on it. She was still highly pissed and didn't want anything to do with him. He knew better than to bother her when she was already riled up, it wouldn't end well for anyone.

And like hormone-raged teenagers, the guys cheered and jumped to their feet, filing out the house one by one. Dominic gave his daughter one last stern look.

"Don't leave this house," he pointed a meaty finger at her for emphasis. Rylan clenched her jaw tightly as she flopped down in the recliner obediently. Dom waved goodbye and slammed out of the house.

"Ry, don't sweat it. You can chill with us and do girly stuff for once," Stacy tease, going back her usual self. Rylan rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. She looked around the room, her eyes stopping on the key hooks by the door. She stood and walked over to them, lifting them from the wall.

"What do you think you're doing?" Mia asked. She knew a defiant Toretto when she saw one and Rylan no exception.

"Going to the races," Rylan replied as if it was no big deal.

"You know he's not gonna like that, right?" Mia responded. Rylan shrugged, but she seemed surprised that Mia wasn't trying to stop her. "Trust me, Dom was on my back when I was young age, trying to keep me away from the scene. Your mom and I had a blast pissing your Dad off. It's in your blood to be with them. I just hope you know he's gonna throw a bitch fit," Mia smiled, remembering the devious times she and Letty had as teenagers.

Rylan grabbed her jacket off the back of the recliner and bolted out the back door. She made sure the coast was clear before she went to the small garage. Dom was just rounding the corner at the end of the block when Rylan thought it was safe. Rylan ran to the Road Runner and jumped in, starting the car quickly. She peeled out the driveway and raced down the street.

After a few minutes and a few wrong turns, Rylan made it to the warehouses. She managed to park out of sight of her father and his goons. She got out and leaned in front of the car, eying her dad from far away. He was talking to a busty blond clad in nothing but a bikini top and short shorts. Rylan gagged at the sight and turned toward the racers.

"Yo, yo, yo, Parker! What are you doing here, girl?" the familiar but annoying voice called. Rylan didn't have to turn around to know it was Turbo standing behind her. She instantly regretted disobeying Dom's rule. She did _not_ feel like dealing with Turbo. She noticed he was walking away from a CR-X that resembled Neiko's, but it was midnight blue.

"Just coming to check out the races," she answered simply. Her heart began to flutter as that tiny green CR-X drove by her. The driver kept his eyes on her as he cruised by, turning her to mush with a wink.

"Ugh, he's such a tool," Turbo said, shaking his head at his brother.

"He racing tonight?" Rylan asked, still watching as the car pulled in with a group of Asian people surrounding.

"Yep, always does. Not in the big race though," Turbo spoke, leaning next to Rylan on her car. "Hey, this is Dom Toretto's car. I'd recognize it anywhere. How'd you get a hold of it?" he fired off. Rylan was surprised he hadn't heard the buzz around school about her being the Toretto/Gonzalez kid.

"He's my dad. I … uh … borrowed it for the night," she said simply. Before he had a chance to question her extensively about Dominic, she spoke again. "You race?"

Turbo laughed, "Me? No, I don't race. I drive, but I don't compete. I just work on the cars. Do all the technical stuff that the Neanderthal can't do," he shrugged.

"Well why don't you race?"

"I need a team for that," his mood dimmed, which made Rylan curious.

"What do you mean?"

"Dipshit doesn't let me race with him and his friends. I just work on their cars. Says I'm not good enough yet," Turbo was angry, but he didn't seem like the type that would let much keep him down.

"Have you beat him?" Turbo nodded confidently. "Then you're good enough."

Even those small words of encouragement were enough to lift Turbo's spirits.

"He any good?" Rylan asked, nodding over to Neiko, who was lifting the hood of his car.

"He's the best in his own weight class, so to speak."

Rylan wanted to get closer to the races and to Neiko, but knew she couldn't risk getting caught by Dom. She didn't want him to embarrass her and freak out.

"Uh oh, look who's coming," Turbo said, nodding towards the 6'0" tall Asian with spiky hair. Neiko approached slowly, shutting down the skanks that flocked to him.

"Fancy seeing you here. What brings you out?" he asked, a smug smile on his face. Rylan didn't like the arrogance in his voice and damn sure didn't like the way he treated Turbo. She didn't like Turbo very well, but she hated a bully even more.

She was also getting annoyed with that question. "Why does anyone come to the races? I came to have a good time," she answered, purposely looking past him at her father. He had two new blonds draped on his arms as he talked to a black man wearing a bandanna. At that moment, the two Toretto's locked eyes. Rylan knew the night was a bummer from there.

"So there's this party we're having at our place tonight after the races. You should swing through," Neiko offered, unaware of the beast standing behind him.

"I don't think so, kid. She's coming home with me tonight," Dom's deep baritone voice boomed from behind him. Neiko didn't have to turn around to notice that one-of-a-kind voice. "You're race is up, punk," Neiko turned around, visibly frightened by the giant standing with his bulging arms crossed. Neiko scrammed instantly, running off to his car. Turbo didn't leave his spot next to Rylan on Dom's car. "I thought I told you to stay home."

Rylan rolled her eyes, not wanting to hear her dad's bitching. "You did."

"So why are you here?" Dom asked, shocked at Rylan's nerve.

"'Cause I told _you_ I wanted to come," Rylan's eye caught the green CR-X pulling off with a crowd towards the starting line. "I was perfectly capable of saying no to him."

"So what. Go home Rylan. I'll deal with you when I get there," Dom said, starting to walk off. He was beyond livid, but didn't want to blow his lid at such a public event. He didn't want to cause anymore attraction from outsiders than he already did.

Rylan stood defiantly, "I'm not going."

"Rylan, take your ass home, now!!" Dom barked as loud as possible, sure enough to scare the hell out of Rylan. Though she was razzled, she didn't flinch or move. Instead, she nodded angrily and turned. "Turbo, make sure she gets home," Dom directed, pointing to the teenager.

Rylan stopped, curious as to how Dom and Turbo knew each other. _Because they're both enthralled in the racing scene, duh_, she thought. Turbo ran to his car and waited for Rylan to pull out. She jumped in the car, making sure it rev it extra loud to piss Dominic off. She fired out of the parking spot and down the block with frustration. After successfully getting away from the warehouses, Rylan pulled over in a gas station. Turbo's small car pulled in beside her. She motioned for him to roll down his window, but he stepped out. She rolled her eyes and got out.

"How do you know my dad?"

"While Jesse was gone, he paid me to be the 'technical advisor'," he said, using quotations. Rylan looked at him with confusion. "He paid me to check out the cars on race night. Something Jesse used to do before he left," Turbo looked around, curious as to why they stopped. "Why are we here?"

"Where's that party going to be?" Rylan asked with a smile, feeling like getting into trouble. She wanted to give Dom hell, the way he gave Letty and the others hell.

Turbo looked at her like she was insane. Nobody went against Dominic Toretto and lived to tell about it.

"Are you crazy? You're dad said to get you home."

"I don't care what he said. He hasn't been in my life for seventeen years, he can live without me for one night. So, about that party..."

Turbo looked around, contemplating what he should do. Should he take her to the party and risk a beating from Dom Toretto and his goons, or does he force her home and receive a beat down from his brother and his friends? He could tell Rylan was getting impatient, so he'd have to make a quick decision.

"God, he's gonna kill me. Ugh, follow me," Turbo said, jumping in his car.

"Wait, follow me home first. I gotta get changed," Rylan had an evil look on her face as she got in the car and sped off.

* * *

"What was she thinking dawg?" Leon asked as Dom sauntered back over to the Team. He kept his angry eyes on Neiko's CR-X as he leaned against his car.

"She's testing me," Dom spoke coldly.

For the rest of the night, Dom was in a feisty mood. He ignored the bimbos that clung to his side, and even further ignored the amateur racers who made challenges to take his title of King of the Streets. He was busy staring Neiko (whom had just won his race) down like an animal waiting on prey.

Before Dom knew it, time had passed and it was time for the last race, his race. He wasn't really up for it, but he didn't want to disappoint his fans.

"What's up Hector?" Dom asked, slightly annoyed with the situation.

"Nothing much, man. Just some fools," Hector waved over a couple guys, one in particular who had never challenged Dominic.

Dom stepped up to the kid, a wide smile on his face.

"Is this for real?" he asked the hazel-eyed Asian.

"It's simple: I win, I take your daughter out. I lost, I'll stay away from her. Simple as that," Neiko got right to the point, ignoring the laughs behind him.

"You'll stay away from her regardless. Either you put up the 2Gs or you step off. Simple as that," Dom returned, getting support from the crowd.

"What? Scared I might actually win?" the crowd oohed.

"Look Kid, you're lucky I'm even allowing you and that piece of shit in this race. Don't push it. Put up or shut up," Dom lost his smile because he was really getting pissed.

"Yo, can we get started here?" Leon asked from the walkie-talkie.

"Fine, fine," Neiko backed off, but he knew he had already gotten into Dominic's head.

The guys are jumped in there cars and raced down to the started point. Dom and Neiko were separated between two cars, a 350Z and Nissan 240SX. Dom revved the Charger loudly as he started at the road ahead. He needed to get focused.

Dom's hand itched on the gear shifter as Hector readied the racers. His heavy boot tapped on the gas petal anxiously as he waited for the arm drop. As soon as Hector's arms fell, Dom flew off the light like a bat out of hell. He instantly took the lead, followed by the 240SX, the 350Z, and Neiko in the back.

"Fucking amateur," Dom murmured, easily shifting gears. He gained speed, his mind drifting back to Rylan. How dare she defy me and come here? _I specifically told her to stay home and she came anyways. Now I know she didn't respect me for abandoning her mother, but I didn't abandon her knowingly. And I was still her father. She needed to learn some respect._

Out the corner of Dom's eye, he caught sight of the bright green blur fly past him. He instantly had a moment of deja vu of that night he raced O'Connor. Dom kicked it into high gear and sped up to the car. He looked over at Neiko and saw the determination on his face. _I had to admit, the kid had skills. But in my opinion, he was just a little punk kid trying to prove himself to his friends._

Dom waited a few more heartbeats before engaging the nitrous oxide. He was pushed to the back of his seat as the car flung forward, pushing close to the CR-X. The finish line was in eye sight, but that didn't worry him. He knew the Charger would perform under pressure, even if he couldn't. He shifted gears with perfect timing as the muscle car pushed ahead of Neiko's just in time to cross the finish line first. A sigh of relief escaped Dom as he made a U-turn and drove slowly back to the starting line.

"Great race, Bro," Vince congratulated. Dom smiled as the crowd began chanting his name. Hector slapped the eight grand in his hand and gave him a manly hug. Neiko reappeared but he didn't get out the car. When Dominic locked eyes with him, Neiko blew him a kiss, knowing it would piss Dom off. Sure enough, Dom began stalking toward the car, but Vince stopped him. "Forget that punk, man. Let's go home."

"You're lucky," Dom mouthed and pointed to Neiko before walking off. "Time to get handle the problem."

* * *

(Rylan)

The party was just getting started as Turbo and I pulled up to a large brick mansion. The house was lit up with lights from top to bottom. The large driveway was a giant circle in which many cars were parked, many from the racing scene. People were filling in and out of the house. I got out, fixed my skirt, and walked over to Turbo.

"You guys rich or something?" I asked sarcastically.

"My parents own a computer software company. Pretty big deal, I guess."

"They know you throw parties like this?"

"Hell no! They are out of town on business. You sure you wanna go in?" Turbo asked me for the fifth time. I smiled and nodded.

"Relax, Turbo. Everything will be fine."

Before we entered, I mentally went over my outfit, making sure I was dressed to turn heads. Normally, I wouldn't give two shits about what anyone thought of me, but tonight I was in the mood to have fun. I guess L.A would do that to you. I was wearing a short denim skirt I borrowed from Stacy and a tank top that showed off my toned stomach. My hair, which is usually up in a ponytail, was down and curly. But I didn't get too carried away, making sure to keep on the heavy, flame-tipped boots my mother gave to me for my birthday. For some reason, they made my look edgier. Mia even commented that I looked exactly like Letty on a race night.

I took a deep breath and followed Turbo into the house, the music immediately hurting my ears. Loud rap music was being played, and people were bouncing around all over. We walked into the living room, which was twice the size of mine in New York, where most of Neiko's crew was hanging out. Two giant kegs were seated on a wood table, red cups all around them.

"Yo Turbo, come here man!" someone yelled from the other side of the room. He excused himself and walked away, leaving me to wander alone. I casually strolled, not wanting to admit to myself who I was looking for. He had been a jerk tonight and I didn't want to bother with him. Instead, I grabbed me a seat near the kitchen and scanned the room nonchalantly, hoping he'd fall in my sight. Once I spotted him, I wished I hadn't. He was sitting at a table, beer in one hand, playing cards in the other, and a dark haired girl on his lap. I gritted my teeth as I watched him play poker with a few random guys, the girl whispering sweet nothings in his ear. While I was busy watching him, I hadn't noticed the guy approaching me.

"Hey sweetie," he slurred. I looked at him, noticing how attractive – and drunk – he was. I chuckled in annoyance and turned away. "Want a beer?" he offered. I didn't drink, but I took it anyways. I nursed it close to me, no intentions on actually drinking it. "So you know I drive a Porsche right?"

I rolled my eyes at his obvious lie, "No you don't. If you did, this would be your party, not Neiko's."

He smiled, and stumbled into the seat next to me, "Whatever. So, what's your name?"

I really wanted to ignore this loser, but after looking over and locking eyes with Neiko, I played into his game. Neiko stared at me, taking a long guzzle of his beer. I returned the gesture, taking a long swig of my beer. The taste burned my throat, but I didn't like that express on my face. _I was here to have fun after all._

"Rylan. What's your name?" I questioned, my eyes still on Neiko.

"Thomas. How come I've never seen you around here before? Surely I'd know a girl as fine as yourself," I nearly gagged at his lame pick-up line.

"I'm new," I replied, finally looking at him. I continued the pointless conversation with Thomas, all the while continuing my staring contest with Neiko. I tossed in a few flirty giggles and hair flips, only to piss off Neiko. It worked, considering Neiko dropped out of the poker game and dismissed the girl on his lap.

Neiko strolled over, swagger oozing from him. My mouth watered out of my control as I turned and pretended that I didn't notice him.

"So what do you drive?" I asked Thomas to kill time until Neiko made it through the huge crowd of drunken teenagers.

"Trans Am. Not a bad ride," he smiled, his breath reeking of alcohol.

"Nice. Maybe you can give me a ride sometime," I was mentally cracking up with laughter at my lame line.

"Or maybe not," Neiko entered, cocking an amused eyebrow at me. I turned, my attention on him.

"And why's that?"

"Because, you're about to dance with me," he grabbed my hand, pulling me out to the middle of the crowd. I wanted to resist the urge to move, but with him standing so close and the music taking over, I couldn't control my hips from moving. I swayed my hips from side to side, tipping my long-neck beer up, the cool liquid sliding down my throat. Neiko's hands landed on my waist as he danced close behind me. "Why are you so mean to me?" he whispered in my ear, sending chills down my spine.

"Because I don't like you," I replied playfully.

"Oh really?" his hands moved in closer, pulling my body against his. My throat tightened as I kept my cool, dancing vulgarly with him. I hadn't been this excited about a boy in my whole life, and it made me do things I normally didn't do. Including going out to social events and drinking like my life depended on it. "I think you do."

We danced through two more songs and three more beers before I felt like I couldn't take all the tension and heat building up inside me. A part of me felt like taking him upstairs and doing things I couldn't dream of, and another part of me felt something bad was about to happen. Something was about to blow up in my face, and I had no idea what it could've been. I shook the feeling off and continued dancing. I sang along to "In Da Club" by 50 cent with the rest of party. With my fourth brew in my hand, I was feeling more than a buzz. I was surprised that I managed to keep my body upright as I danced. Just as the song was ending, a loud commotion was coming from behind us. I turned around, curious to see who was fighting now. Two confrontations had already broken out, so it was no surprise that a third was happening.

When I turned around, I got the shock of my life to see Dom, Vince, and Brick shoving their way in the crowd.

"Rylan Tyler Parker, you are fucking dead!" Dom roared as he spotted me.

_Oh shit._


	23. What the Hell!

**Thanks for the reviews. Letty update! Please read and review!**

**A/N: In no way am I glorifying teenage drinking, but shit happens.**

**Chapter 23**

(No POV)

Dom and the Team made it back to the house ten minutes after the last race was finished. Dom didn't feel like dealing with Rylan, but he knew he had to do something about her actions.

As he pulled the Charger up the driveway, he noticed it's unusual emptiness. It took him only a few seconds to realize the Road Runner was missing. Only one person would touch his car. _What the fuck?! Is she dumb or deaf?!_

Dom burst into the house, ignoring the questions from the guys. Mia, Stacy, and Lisa were all seated in front of the television, sure enough watching a movie on Lifetime.

"Priceless," Reese commented with a laugh as he walked straight to the kitchen for a beer.

"Where is Rylan?!" Dom barked immediately. Lisa and Stacy jumped, but Mia didn't budge. She knew what was coming.

"She's not here," Mia replied simply, enjoying her popcorn and movie.

"And why the hell not? Mia you know what the hell I'm going through with that girl. Why'd you let her leave?" Dom yelled, unable to control his temper with his sister. She wasn't helping the situation at all.

"Dom don't you raise your damn voice at me! She just got thrusted into our lives, I can't control what she does! Maybe if you would've let her go in the first place, she wouldn't have snuck out," Mia replied, her hormones on edge. She hated when Dom interrupted a good movie with bullshit.

"Did she say where she was going?" Dom lowered his voice, but his temper only raised.

"Nope," Mia lied, knowing exactly where Rylan went. She wanted to let Dom fret a little longer. Stacy and Lisa only giggled, keeping their eyes on the movie.

"Fuck. You three stay here incase she comes back. Vince and Brick, let's go find her," Dom ordered, barging out the house with his henchmen behind him. Dom jumped in the Charger while Vince rode shotgun with Brick.

Dom and the boys drove around for a while, hitting all the hot spots on where a teenager might go. Dom knew that if he didn't find Rylan soon, she could get into real trouble. Once word got out who she was, no doubt a target could be on her back. He didn't want her going into the wrong neighborhood, or worse. Letty would kill him if something happened to their little girl.

_Fuck Rylan! Why would you put me in this position? I just wanted to keep you from getting in trouble. You are so goddamn stubborn!_

Just as Dom was about to give up his search for the night, he thought back to the races. Just as he was walking over to Rylan, she was talking to that punk kid, Neiko. _He had asked her to go to a party, but would she go? Was she the social butterfly?_ He didn't think so, but he had no other choices. Dom buzzed into the other cars.

"Guys, head up to Orchid Lane. She's probably at that party," Dom ordered, making a U-turn in the middle of the street.

A few minutes later, Dom and the guys arrived at the bottom of Orchid Lane, where Toby and Neiko's mansion was located. For sure, loud music was blaring from the top of the hill. Dom and Brick fired up the hill, not surprised at how many cars were there. Dom had to drop Toby off here many a times after cops busted up the races. These kids usually had parties to rival Dom Torettos. Dom wanted to smile at the memory, but now wasn't the time. He had to get his little girl.

After pulling up to the house, sure enough his Road Runner was parked next to Turbo's blue car. Dom exited the car quickly, followed by Vince and Brick.

"She's got some fucking nerve," Dom said angrily as he approached the steps. He burst open the door, not bothering to knock. The smell of booze and sweat instantly hit his nostrils as the loud music grew even louder.

"Yo man, you can't be up in here fool!" some idiot tried to stop Dom from getting in.

Dom pushed the boy with such force he nearly wiped out a whole group of dancers.

"Rylan!" he barked, but his deep baritone voice was no match for the loud speakers.

The idiot stood up and got in Dom's face, unaware that he was only adding fuel to Dom's fire.

"Either you step off or I break your face!" Dom growled to the kid.

"Just get the fuck out then man!" the boy yelled again.

"Hey, get back!" Vince pushed the kid back again.

It was then that Dom noticed Rylan, his only daughter, drinking and grinding on some punk. He and the guys marched through the crowd, anxious to get Rylan and leave before the cops busted this place. Wouldn't be the first time.

Once Dom reached Rylan, he yelled, "Rylan Tyler Parker, you are so fucking dead!" Dom pulled Neiko away by his collar, tossing him to the floor. He grabbed Rylan by her arm and began dragging her out of the crowd.

"Get off of me!" she yanked away from him hard, causing herself to be knocked to the ground. "Hey, I didn't spill my beer!" Rylan yelled, holding up her brew. The crowd cheered for the drunken girl.

Dom jerked Rylan off the floor and continued pulling her towards the door. Neiko got up from the floor and chased after his girl. He grabbed Dom's shoulder and turned him around, tossing a hard punch to his nose. Dom staggered, but didn't loosen his hold on his daughter.

"Vince!" he pushed Rylan towards Vince, who tossed the inebriated girl over his shoulder and began carrying her out the house. "You wanna go you little fucker?" Dom asked, standing up to the kid. He knew he was eighteen, so if Dom was getting charged, so was Neiko. Neiko squared up with Dom and tossed another punch. Dom caught it and head-butted the shit out of Neiko, knocking him on his ass. The teen grabbed his nose and wailed in pain as blood poured from his face.

"D, let's go man!" Brick pulled Dominic away and pushed him out the door.

Rylan was already waiting in the passenger seat of the Charger, and Vince was pulling off in the Road Runner when Dom and Brick exited the house. Dom flew to the Charger, jumping in and peeling out of the driveway quickly. Once he got to the bottom of the hill, Dom drove insanely slow, something he did when he couldn't get his thoughts together. He was way past livid; he felt mentally unbalanced. He clenched at the steering wheel so tight that his usually-tan knuckles were ghostly white.

He didn't even know what to say to his own daughter. He was confused on how to discipline her. Did he ground her? Call her mother? Forbid her from working in the shop?_ All the above_, he decided.

"What were you thinking?" was all Dom could manage.

"Could you drive a little faster please?" Rylan asked, her head leaning against the cool window.

"What were you thinking Rylan?" Dom repeated, ignoring her request.

"What were you thinking?! Busting in there like that! That's so fucking embarrassing!" Rylan snapped.

"I told you to go home Rylan! You were supposed to be home! What the fuck is wrong with you?" Dom yelled, his bark way more fierce than Rylan's.

"Could you stop driving like a grandpa?"

Dom gritted his teeth and punched it into high gear, flying down the eight-lane street. They finally made it home home ten minutes after Vince and Brick had. Dom got out and helped Rylan out the car. He put his arms underneath her knees and carried her like a baby into the house. The gang was still up, all waiting on Dom and Rylan's arrival.

"Holy shit what happened?" Leon asked from his spot next to Lisa.

"She's shit-faced drunk, that's what happened. Stacy, can you get a bucket and some Advil from the medicine cabinet?" Dom asked, carrying Rylan upstairs and to her room.

He dropped her body on the body, at the moment not carrying if it hurt. Rylan groaned and crawled underneath the blankets, passing out as soon as her head hit the pillow. Stacy came in the room and sat the bucket near the bed. She sat a glass of water on the table and the Advil next to it. Dom was seated on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands.

"This isn't like Rylan. She never did things like this back home. She never even left the house," Dom took in this information with a lot of thought.

"Did she have a lot of friends?" he asked.

"One, Cece Swanson. She was sort of an outcast. Not a lot of people talked to her. I guess I wasn't a help to that," Stacy said, sitting next to Dom. Normally, she would laugh and tease the hell out of her sister, but at the moment, she felt bad for Dominic.

"What do you mean?"

"I was the popular one at school. I never told people that we were related. She was always so weird, though. I teased her a lot. We fought a lot."

Dom understood Rylan's behavior now. She acted out because she found a place where she felt she belonged: the races. And when she was pushed away, she was hurt. _So she wanted to make my life hell, the way Stacy made hers hell._

"I have to call Letty," Dom said, standing and leaving the room. He walked into his room and collapsed onto the bed. He took a deep breath before pulling out his cell phone.

**-X-**

"Hello?" A hoarse voice called from the other line.

"Letty, we need to talk," Dom said, running his hands down his face.

"Dom, it's four in the fuckin' morning. Can't it wait?" she asked, pissy as usual.

Dom had forgotten about the three hour time difference. "Actually no. It's Rylan."

The other end ruffled and Letty came back on. "What's wrong? Is she in trouble?"

"With me, yes. We went to the races tonight and I specifically told her not to come. She did anyways," Dom paused, waiting for a reaction.

"Well shit Dom, what'd you expect? The girl doesn't answer to anyone."

"That's not all Let. When I told her to leave and go home, she did. But she went to a party."

"And...? Dom get on with it already," Letty said. Dom ground his teeth together. Letty was just as aggravating as Rylan sometimes.

"She's plastered," Dom said simply, knowing it'd get a reaction out of Letty.

"What?! What the fuck Dominic?!"

"Look, I didn't tell her to go. Just tell me what to do Let," Dom begged.

Letty sighed into the phone, "You have to handle it, D. She's your kid too. You have to learn how to handle situations like this. I'll deal with her when I get back. But until then, she's your problem, bud."

Dom had a feeling Letty would say that, and he mentally slapped himself for even calling her.

"Thanks for nothing," Dom hung up. He undressed and passed out quickly after.

* * *

(Rylan)

I woke up the next morning from a sound that could only be coming from a train. I had the worst migraine in my life. I literally dug my fingernails into my scalp to divert my attention from that pain. I instantly regretted the quick movements because my body lunged over the side of the bed, emptying the contents of my stomach. Thankfully, a bucket was strategically placed where I was puking my guts up.

_What the hell happened?_ I never woke up sick like this. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, and was rewarded again with throwing up in the bucket.

"Ugh!" I groaned after a few moments of dry heaving.

"That's really unattractive," a deep voice called from my door. There stood Dom with a pot and a spoon in his hand. He had a smug smile on his face that didn't help my current mood.

"Was that you with the banging?" I asked, rinsing my mouth out with the water on the table. I popped two of the Advil, hoping the pill would kill her headache before her headache killed her.

"Yep. Breakfast time," Dom smirked, walking extra-loud down the stairs.

I groggily trudged down the stairs slowly, not wanting to be bothered with anyone. But I had a feeling that I would've been dragged down the stairs if I didn't go willingly. When I entered the kitchen, Koy was seated at the head of the table, Dominic seated next to him. Stacy was on the other side and Jesse was sitting next to her. There was a seat left for me.

I brushed off the stares I got from everyone, and the snickers Stacy gave me. I went to the stove and only picked up a piece of toast to eat. There was no way I could eat anything when the mere smell of it made me nauseas. I sat down at the table, taking a long gulp of the orange juice waiting for me.

"Well, I'm going down to the shop. You coming soon?" Jesse asked Dom, standing from the table.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a bit. Tell Leon to start working on that Toyota. I wanna get that thing out of there ASAP," he replied, shoveling eggs into his mouth.

"What time are we leaving for the shop?" I asked, holding the cold glass to my head. Jesse laughed and walked out of the house.

"We aren't going anywhere. You and Koy are staying here. Stacy's gonna go run the shop, and I have to go to work," Dom stood and dumped his dishes in the sink, using a napkin to wipe off his face.

"Why?" I wondered if their behavior had anything to do with my inability to remember last night's activities. "What happened last night?" I finally asked, not looking up from my toast.

"Aha," Dom said, "the magic question. What the hell did happen last night?" he put his finger to his chin as if he was in serious thought. "Oh yeah. After you I told you to go home last night, you went and got drunk at a party. I believe that was it? Wasn't it? " Dom rambled to himself as if he was insane.

"No, seriously. What happened? I hit my head or something?" I asked, not wanting to believe what Dom was saying. I don't drink. I don't party. I don't even like _people_, so what the hell was he talking about?

Dom laughed, but it wasn't a comedic one. His eyes looked pissed. His jaw tightened and untightened numerous times before he spoke.

"I wish I was joking Rylan. And because you went out and got drunk, you won't be leaving this house again. For a long time. You won't be coming to the garage. You won't be hanging out with anyone. After school, you are to come straight here," I was about to protest, but he held his hand up, "And I don't want any argument about it. Just because Letty isn't here, doesn't mean you're gonna do what you want around here. Now, you have to watch Koy today, so I hope you find something productive to do," Dom finished, walking around the table. He kissed the top of Koy's head, ruffling his hair afterwards and walked to the door.

I couldn't even absorb all the things Dom said, for I was still bamboozled about the party. What the fuck was I thinking? That could explain the throwing up and the headache I was experiencing. I wanted to speak, to apologize, but I couldn't form any words. This was way out of my character.

I watched as my father walked to the door. He stepped out, but came back in and snatched the keys off the hook by the door. "Wouldn't wanna forget these again."

* * *

(Letty)

"Come on Denise, you got this," I laughed as I watched her speed her black BMW down the strip. Her BMW 330Ci Coupe was pretty fast for it to be a 2004 model with only 225 horsepower. It was her third try, and after some shifting tips, she was getting faster. After finding the abandoned strip on our way to the grocery stop, I had to stop and get some pent up adrenaline out. I raced my 240SX to show her the skills I told her I had, and I had to admit, I missed the feeling.

It had been about a week since the hotel, and Denise and I had become inseparable. I wanted to keep her with Robbie and I in order to keep her away from her boyfriend, one whom I haven't met. She offered to take me to see him, but I got pissed and declined the offer. Instead, I wanted to get her ready for our trip back to L.A. She got all of her papers faxed and all of the hospital business situated, and would be the head doctor at Cedars-Sinai hospital when we returned.

Ryan wasn't recovering any better than he was when I was in L.A. And with the drama Dom was going through with Rylan, I knew I had to get back soon. Plus, Leon's wedding date was quickly arriving, and if I didn't make it back before then, he could _kill_ me. I wired my bank accounts down to a bank in L.A. I also settled all of the legal litigations with the divorce attorney, and depending on if Ryan comes out of this alive or not, this case could take a few months. After showing him the evidence of the beatings I had endured for years, he gave me the choice of pursuing a police investigation, or going on with my life. I hadn't made my choice yet.

"How'd I do?" Denise asked with a bright smile after pulling up in front of me.

"You went fast, Doc!" Robbie called from the sunroof of the Silvia.

"Not bad for a rookie," I tease, walking back over to my car. I jumped in and we drove off to the local supermarket and began gathering things for our trip. "Now, it's a long trip back, so get a lot of food."

Halfway into the splurge, I had noticed a few familiar faces following behind Denise and I. The two women whispered to each other as they passed us by.

"Problem ladies?" I asked with a cock of the eyebrow – a look I learned could scare the pants of a man.

"I just can't believe what you did to Ryan. Such a good guy and he lets a..." the girl hesitated "a _spic_ fuck his life up."

I clenched my jaw tightly. "Excuse me?" I stepped up to the women. I knew I shouldn't make a scene here in Wal-Mart, but I didn't care. I was fed up with people calling me a fucking spic.

"Letty, don't," Denise grabbed my arm, but I shrugged it off.

"Look bitch. You don't know what the fuck you're talking about. That asshole ruined my life! As far as I'm concerned, he deserved what the fuck happened to him!"

I couldn't stop the word vomit from coming out of my mouth. It had been the first time I spoke what I had been thinking for weeks. It was highly inappropriate, especially in front of Robbie. I bit my tongue, immediately regretting saying those words. I looked back at Robbie and my heart broke. He had tears in his eyes and he wouldn't look at me. I wanted to smash the skank's face in for running her mouth.

"Come on Letty," Denise tried to steer me away again. "She's not worth it."

"You're right," I said to Denise. "Keep running your mouth though, and you'll see just how bad this _spic_ can fuck your life up," I said hatefully, walking back over to my cart.

I pushed the cart away, not speaking a word. I kept my eyes on Robbie as he walked along the side of the cart. I pulled over and kneeled down in front of him. I held his chin in my hand, trying to get him to look at me. His cheeks were wet from tears and his eyes were cast down on the floor.

"Look at me Robert," I begged, and his big blue eyes finally met mine. His sadness made my chest hurt. "I'm so sorry for saying those things. I didn't mean it, okay?"

"You really hate Daddy, don't you?" he asked, his bottom lip quivering. He could always see right through me.

"How I feel about Daddy doesn't matter. As long as you love him, that matters. Daddy just didn't make life for me very easy."

"I know. He hurt you," I was surprised at Robbie's words. I knew he heard the fights, seen the bruises on my face day after day. I just wished he hadn't.

"He did. But that's okay because it only makes me stronger for you. Are you ready to go back to Dom's house?" I asked, curious on how he felt about the situation. I knew he missed his father, but he had taken a liking to Dom and Koy. At the mention of Dom, Robbie's eye lit up and the tears stopped almost immediately.

"Yes. I miss Koy and Jack!" he shrieked. _Of course he'd miss the dog, not his sisters_, I thought.

"Good."

**-X-**

We made it back to Denise's loft about an hour later so she could pack her things up. Her boyfriend wouldn't be home until later that night, so she had time to get all of her essentials before the big trip tomorrow.

It was a small place, but big enough for two people, I suppose. It was fairly clean, but the kitchen had piles of beer chases and cans stacked sky high. I was surprised to notice most of them were Corona cases. I couldn't help but smile. I thought Corona's stayed in Cali.

"You have a nice place here," I called out to Denise, who disappeared into a back room.

"Thanks. I try to keep it clean, but B doesn't exactly help out," she said, a laugh following afterward. I looked at the pictures on the wall, many of them with Denise at the hospital. Her Ph.D was framed and hung high above the entertainment system. There was a picture of her with whom I guessed was her boyfriend. His arm was hanging lazily around her waist, and she had a bright smile on her face. He wore dark shades and had short hair and a full beard. He looked like a dickhead.

"All right, I think that's good," Denise said, dragging two suitcases out of her room. She grabbed her Ph.D from above the TV and stuffed it into one of the bags. "Crap, I forgot my toothbrush. I'll be right back," she ran back to the bathroom and shut the door.

I stood looking at the picture, trying to picture what her boyfriend would look like with the glasses and beard.

He looked familiar. The smirk he wore seemed to fit someone I knew. Before I could think anymore about it, the front door creaked open.

"Can I help you?" the voice called from the threshold.

The voice was familiar. Though it sounded more husky, it was definitely one I had heard before. I turned around, more than shocked at who was standing there, staring back at me.

"Spilner?" I asked, fury and confusion building up in me.


	24. Respect

**Sorry for the hiatus, I was busy graduating high school the other day :) .Thanks for the reviews. I know Brian doesn't seem like the abusive type, but all will be explained in this chapter.**

**Chapter 24**

(No POV)

"Spilner?" Letty's voice was harsh.

Brian stood, mouth agape and eyebrows to the sky. His skin paled, as if he'd seen a ghost. And he was right, Letty was only a mere ghost of his hellish past.

Denise stood in the hallway, watching the altercation. She hadn't expected Brian to show up while she was planning her daring escape. She wasn't sure if he'd get angry and blow up right in front of a stranger, but she didn't want to sit and find out.

"Hi, hun. You weren't supposed to be home 'til tonight," she said with a timid smile.

"I was on break, wanted to come get a shower. Letty, what are you doing here?" Brian asked, taking off his shades.

"What the fuck are you doing here Spilner?" Letty asked again, completely dumbfounded by Brian's appearance at Denise's house. Was _he_ her abusive boyfriend?

"It's O'Connor," he corrected, still in a daze of shock and confusion.

"You guys know each other?" Denise asked, pointing between the two. Letty never mentioned knowing her boyfriend.

"We're old friends," Brian replied, not taking his eyes off Letty.

"I wouldn't exactly call us that," Letty snapped, stepping up to Brian as if she was ready to throw bows with him. "This buster fucked up my family seventeen years ago! He sold us out," Letty spoke, through clenched teeth.

"That's not true Letty. I was trying to do my job. I didn't want to take you guys down."

"Wait, this is the cop?!" Denise asked, pure shock on her face. Letty had told her why she ran to New York, even about a cop who infiltrated the gang and turned their worlds upside down. She just never brought up his name.

Letty ignored Denise, "Bullshit Brian! You were a fucking cop! We trusted you in our home, in our family. We trusted you with Mia! And you were a fucking fake," Letty yelled angrily. She had never taken a liking to Brian, and now that she knew who he was, it didn't help her feelings towards him. "Looks like not much has changed," Letty wanted to drop Brian where he stood, but two altercations in one day wasn't helping her with getting back on Robbie's good side. He only sat and watched the argument, unsure on how to feel about it. "Look Denise, I'll be out in the car. If you're still down, meet me out there," Letty started for the door.

"Wait, where are you going?" Brian asked Denise, walking over to her.

"Getting away from you. What the fuck happened to you, Brian? Since when did you beat on women? I know I didn't know much about you, but I could tell you were more of a stand up guy than that," Letty slammed out of the house, Robbie at her side.

Letty had no idea what to think of Brian. What happened to him all those years ago? She knew that he helped Dom get away and clear the Team's name, but after that, she hadn't heard of or from him. For Mia's sake, she had tried to locate him many times, but she had no luck.

Letty and Robbie waited down in the car for twenty more minutes. As soon as Letty was about to pull off, Denise came strutting out the front door, pulling her suitcases behind her. Letty smile and got out of the car.

"You still coming? Letty asked as Denise loaded up her BMW.

"I told him I was being sent to Haiti with a rescue team for a week and that you were going with to help out," Denise replied, shutting her trunk.

"And..." Letty need to know that their move was final.

"And... I'm not coming back," Letty was happy to heard she could help someone get out. But she had a feeling that the situation wasn't anywhere near over.

A few hours later, Letty, Robbie, and Denise decided to go out to dinner. While waiting on their meals, Letty couldn't get Brian off her brain. How did he become a monster? She didn't know, but she was sure Denise did.

"So how did you and the buster meet?" Denise looked at Letty weirdly. "Something a couple of old friends used to call him."

Letty was surprised she hadn't asked the doctor the question before. Denise was caught off guard by the question, but sat up to answer it.

"We met a few years ago. He usually came to retrieve suspects who got in wrecks, or who got in some type of scuffle. He was always sweet and generous. Very flirty. Always asked me on dates, but I wasn't a fan of cops so I declined. But damn he was so cute," she smiled. Letty could tell the doc was still very in love with Brian, even if she didn't like him.

"Brian was always a looker," Letty added. "When did it get bad?"

Denise quickly lost her smile. She waited until the waitress sat their plates on the table and walked away before continuing.

"About two months later, he was brought in around two A.M. I remember I was just about to go home when a group of cops came hurdling through the double doors. They were all yelling at once, screaming how 'O'Connor's going to die!' That's when the ambulance bought him in. He had suffered a gunshot wound to the head and a knife wound to the chest. He survived, but his behavior and attitude would always be an issue. The bullet damaged the part of your brain that controls your behavior and your ability to differentiate right from wrong. So I know it's not totally his fault what he does, but the drinking doesn't help."

Letty knew it couldn't have been Brian turning into a bad guy. He was generally sweet and helpful. Then again, he was a lying, backstabbing pig who turned her family upside down in a matter of months.

"Well let's just hope he's not as smart as he used to be. 'Cause when he finds out that you didn't go to Haiti, he'll be paying us a visit in L.A."

* * *

Rylan walked down the hall, more than five books stuffed in her arms. She was on day eight of her "home confinement", as Vince liked to call it. It was killing her. She hadn't gone this long without working on an engine in months. In order to avoid Neiko, Rylan hadn't showed up for shop class all week. Instead, she took off for a park a couple of blocks away from the high school. She would complete her homework, or think about how big of a wreck her life was turning out to be.

Rylan was on her way out of the building and headed towards the park when she was stopped by a voice.

"Ms. Parker. You plan on coming to class sometime this year?" Mr. Breckner asked, standing a few feet behind Rylan. He had taken a liking to her quickly. He enjoyed the fact that a girl could come in his class and actually teach the _boys_ a few things. He just couldn't understand why she didn't put more effort into coming to class.

Rylan sighed. Was she going to get in trouble for skipping class? She couldn't afford to get in anymore trouble with Dom. Rylan prepared to wing an excuse if need be.

"Sorry. I've been dealing with a lot of..." she paused "female problems," she was satisfied when Mr. Breckner gave a curt nod.

"That's fine. Why don't you stop by today? I have a special project I'd like you to help me with," Rylan could tell it was an attempt on draw her back to class. Rylan saw that his eyes were genuine, and she decided that if it meant she didn't have to deal with Neiko, it'd be okay.

Rylan followed her teacher back to the adjacent building that held the shop class. Power tools could be heard as the two approached the class. The boys were all hard at work, already working on getting their taxi's back together and improved. Rylan tried everything in her will to keep her eyes from wandering to the back of the shop, where Neiko worked alone. Mr. B lead Rylan to an area across from Neiko (which she wanted to protest, but didn't). Rylan was stopped in front of something covered in a tarp. Mr. B circled the object, ready to unveil surprise. He yanked off the tarp, revealing the old, rusted Dodge Dart that looked like it needed a lot of work and TLC.

"This here is a '61 Dodge Dart. I found it in a junkyard while looking for parts. I figured we still had a few months left, why not completely restore it?" Mr. Breckner could tell by the look on Rylan's face that she was more than satisfied with the project.

"What has to be done?" she asked.

"What doesn't? We are going to completely restore this beauty. Now, a friend of mine who owes me a couple favors is going to help provide with parts. Any questions?

Rylan couldn't wipe the smile off her face,"When can we start?"

Before her teacher could reply, a voice from the other side of the room spoke. "We're stuck working on these taxis and the skirt shows up and gets special treatment. How is that fair?"

"Excuse me? You sure didn't have a problem with my skirt the other night, now did you?" Rylan replied quickly, already annoyed with Neiko.

"It's not about special treatment. It's about having respect for women. Some of you need to learn that," Mr. Breckner said to Neiko.

Rylan knew exactly at that moment that her teacher knew. He knew about happened at the party the other night. It wasn't a surprise that he knew. It had been whispered about the whole school how the new girl got plastered and her psycho dad busted up the party. Surely, Rylan Parker wasn't a favorite amongst her peers. _Just like old times_, she thought.

"Whatever," Neiko muttered, walking out of the building.

Rylan stumbled around the car, eyes on her teacher. He had his head in his hands, silently wishing Rylan hadn't come into his class. _The less drama, the better_, he thought.

"You know?" Rylan questioned, even though she already knew the answer.

"I wished I didn't," he replied. "I overheard Tashi and the boys talking about it. Had to bust their asses about it too," Rylan smiled. She liked Mr. Breckner better than her other teachers. He respected her. That's more than she can say for a lot of other people.

"Thanks," was her meek reply.

"Don't mention it. Now, to repay me, you can start by going to get the toolbox. We need to get started."

**-X-**

"Alright guys, clean up. Start up again tomorrow. I expect to have these back together by the end of the day tomorrow. You need to start drawing up your designs for the graphics."

Rylan wiped her sweaty forehead and began cleaning. Thankfully, she was so busy taking doors and wheels off the Dart, she didn't have time to think about Neiko. When she even dared to glance at him, she only got frustrated.

Rylan was anxious to get out of the area one the bell rang to avoid a confrontation. She almost made it to the front of the building before she was stopped.

"Why are you ignoring me? Don't you think you owe me a little conversation?" Neiko asked, blocking Rylan in a corner out of everyone's sight.

"I don't owe you shit," Rylan snarled, pushing Tashi away.

"After this-" Neiko pointed to his badly-bruised nose, "-you owe me an explanation."

"What do you want me to say? My dad was protecting me," Rylan replied, hoping Dom would appear and rescue her again. Neiko was being aggressive and she didn't like it.

"From what? The way you was drinking and dancing, you didn't need protection then."

"You're an asshole," Rylan pushed him harder this time, managing to gain some space from him. She walked quickly to Vince's Maxima, but not before being stopped again. Neiko grabbed Rylan's arm, forcefully turning her to face him. Before he could speak, Rylan landed a hard right hook plush on his nose. She guessed from the large amount of blood leaving his crooked nose she had broken it again.

"Aye!" Vince yelled as he jumped out of car.

"What the fuck!" Neiko yelled, clutching his face in pain.

Vince grabbed Rylan and pushed her towards the car. He waited until both Stacy and Rylan were buckled up before taking off.

"What was that?" Stacy asked, turning around in her seat.

"I was fed up with his attitude," Rylan replied, rubbing her knuckles.

"Ouch, that doesn't look too good," Vince winced through the rear-view mirror.

The three got back home fifteen minutes later. Stacy changed for work at the café and got back in the car. The two peeled out of the driveway, leaving an angry Rylan home alone. Rylan paced the living room, shaking her throbbing her vigorously. She was still fuming from earlier, but her hand had more of her attention. Just as she was relaxing, the phone rang.

"Yeah?" she answered rudely.

"Heard you got in a scuffle today," Dom's gruff voice spoke on the line.

"What do you want? I have homework," Rylan replied. She had gone back to despising Dom.

"I heard you messed up your hand. I'm gonna send someone over to take you to county to get it checked out. Oh, and Rylan, call your mother. I'm sure she misses you."

_**Twenty minutes later...**_

Rylan walked out the house after hearing a honk out front. Parked in front of the house was Reese's 350Z, which made Rylan angry and nervous. Reese had backed off lately, but could his stand-offish behavior mean something? Rylan didn't know and didn't want to find out.

"Let's go! I got work to do!" Reese yelled, standing outside his car. Rylan stalled as she called Dom back in protest, but he didn't answer. She sighed and walked out to the car. Surprisingly, Reese didn't try to make conversation as they made their way to the hospital.

* * *

_Bang! _

_Bang! _

_Bang!_

Rylan rolled her eyes as she jumped out of her bed, running to her bedroom door. It was the third time that Reese came knocking at her door, asking her what she was doing. Since returning home from the hospital, she was stuck in her room doing homework. She had suffered a few broken knuckles and had to get a cast put on in a week, but in a few weeks she'd be healed.

The gang had to work in the shop late that night, so it left Reese home babysitting the almost-adult Rylan. Surely she hated every moment of it, but she figured if she stayed in her room until Dom got home, she'd be fine. While finishing her Spanish homework, she could hear the clank of bottles being tossed on the coffee table. _Great, now he's annoying __**and**__ drunk._

"Open the door!" Reese's voice slurred outside Rylan's door again.

"Go away!" she responded, turning her TV up louder, making it easier to ignore his presence.

After a few more knocks and demands, Rylan was given the surprise of her life when her bedroom door came flying off the hinges, wood shattering all over the room. Rylan looked at the wide-eyed beast that stood in the door, an almost empty bottle of Corona in his hand.

"What the fuck is your problem?! Look at my door!" Rylan yelled, standing on the other side of her bed, which separated her and Reese. She had no idea that he even had the strength to kick a solid door off the hinges in one blow.

"You know, for the past week I've been thinking a lot about our relationship. I think we're ready to take it to the next level," Reese slurred as he leaped on the bed, springing himself off onto the other side. Quickly, Rylan jumped across the bed and ran out of the room. She didn't get far before Reese was on her tail. Just as she was reaching the door, Reese grabbed her by the waist, slamming her down on the sofa behind him.

"What are you doing?! Get off!" Rylan screamed as Reese fought with her belt buckle. Rylan slapped Reese hard, but it didn't seem to phase him as he managed to rip off the belt. "Please stop!" She begged, kicking him hard in the stomach. She guessed from his inebriated state that he was numb to her defensive moves.

"Come on girlie, I heard that you like it rough. Be still," Reese's usually-smooth voice was ragged and slurred, and it scared the hell out of Rylan.

Rylan continued to fight Reese until he planted a large, open-handed smack on her face. While she was stunned, Reese unbuckled her jeans and yanked them down to her knees.

Rylan was oblivious to the tears that were starting to pour down her face. She fought as hard as she could to get Reese off her, but he was too strong for her. As Reese started to undo his jeans, Rylan began screaming. She wasn't sure if anyone could hear her, but if this was going to happen to her, she wouldn't go down without a fight.

Just as Reese tried to pull off Rylan's jeans, the front door burst open.

"Get the fuck off her!" Dom roared.


	25. The Letter

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the characters you do not recognize. Though I wish I owned Michelle Rodriguez. She's incredible.**

**Thanks for the reviews.**

**Chapter 25**

(Dom)

It was late, around ten P.M. approximately when we finally got out of the garage. We were extremely busy for it to be a Monday, but we had to move all appointments into this week because of Leon's wedding next week. We decided closing the shop for a week would be a bummer, but it would be a much needed vacation for all of us.

"Hey, where's Reese?" Leon asked, walking to his Skyline. He was supposed to watch Rylan for only an hour after taking her home from the hospital, but he hadn't returned back to the shop. I wanted him to get back here and finish this Impala, but the idiot never returned.

"Has anyone heard from him?" I asked, looking at the clearly confused faces surrounding me.

"I tried calling the house but no one picked up," Jesse piped up from the Jetta.

"Shit. Dom get in the car!" Vince yelled, running to his Maxima.

"V, what's wrong?" I asked, curious about his outburst.

"Reese is in love with Rylan. Look, I can't explain, just get in the fucking car!" Vince yelled again, burning rubber as he peeled out of the lot quickly.

I didn't hesitate as Stacy, Koy, and I jumped in the Road Runner and peeled out, chasing after Vince's car. I couldn't even process what Vince was saying before he darted off. Reese was in love with Rylan? What the hell was that about?

"Stacy, start talking," I ordered, knowing the young girl knew something of what Vince was talking about.

"Reese is obsessed with Rylan. He's been asking her out for weeks. She told me he even threatened her," Stacy's voice was shaky.

"Why didn't anyone say anything to me?" I was pissed that they were all hiding this from me.

"Because you don't listen to her! You only yell at her."

I didn't have time to reply before we pulled up to the house. Screams could be heard coming from the inside of the house. Everyone jumped out of their cars simultaneously, all running for the house. Taking large steps, I made it their first, bursting the door open. I instantly saw red at the sight of a man I previously called a good friend, hovering over my only daughter.

"Get the fuck off her!" I bellowed, launching my body towards Reese. I grabbed him by the neck, yanking him off Rylan. I dragged him to the front door, and lifted his body off the ground, tossing him into the yard.

"You come into _my_ house, and try to hurt _my_ kid?!" I roared, placing a hard shin into Reese's face. "You try to hurt my daughter?!" I knew my voice would wake the neighbors, but I didn't care. I began wailing on Reese, my giant fist pummeling his pierced face.

"Dom!" Stacy's voice was only a mere ringing in my head. The only sound that actually got comprehended was the horrid screams of my daughter. The thought made me punch him harder and quicker.

"Come on dawg," Vince yelled, pulling me off a bloody Reese. My blood was still boiling, but I knew if the cops were called, I wouldn't be able to talk my way out of this one.

Before walking away, Vince gave Reese a swift kick to the gut.

"Fucking scumbag!" he barked.

Vince pushed me to the porch, where Brick held me around the neck. He knew it was only way of keeping me on the porch, staring at Reese. I secretly wished he'd attempt to come back to the house so I could punish him again. That was when Jesse and Leon came running out of the house, both men circling Reese. They joined Vince in the brutal beating. I was surprised that Jesse was getting the best of the hits in. For him to be so small, he could sure pack a punch.

"Guys, get him out of here!" I yelled, finally coming to my senses. I couldn't risk any of my guys going to jail for this punk.

Reese managed to stumble onto his feet, cradling his stomach while spitting up blood. It was no doubt that he had some internal injuries that would be killing him for weeks. He staggered to his car, jumped in quickly, and burned rubber as he reversed out of the driveway. Leon picked up the biggest rock he could and launched it at the rear of the 350Z, crashing the window out of the car.

I mentally slapped myself as I then thought of Rylan. I had to make sure she was okay. I rushed back into the house, where Rylan was sitting in the corner of the room, rocking back and forth. She had a large, red bruise on her cheek and was visibly shivering. I scooped her up in my arms and slowly carried her upstairs. I looked to her, but her door was literally crumbled on her floor. I clenched my jaw and carried her to my room, shutting the door quietly behind me.

"Hold on babe, I'll get you some clothes," I said, sitting her gently on the bed and going to my dresser. I pulled out some large sweat pants and a big t-shirt. I turned while she dressed. Her constant sniffles and whines made my heart hurt. To think that someone so close to me would even _contemplate_ hurting my kid made me furious. "Why didn't you tell me about him?" I asked as gently as possible.

"Didn't think you'd believe me," she replied, her eyes downcast at her feet. This was the first time I had seen Rylan with her guard completely down. She was scared, and that was a rare emotion I had seen out of her or her mother.

"You're my daughter, of course I'd believe you. I'd believe you over anyone," I replied. "Look, get some rest. I'll call your school in the morning and tell them you won't be coming in for a few days," I stood and walked for the door, surprised by her request.

"Dom. Will you stay? I don't want to be alone?" she asked, sniffling.

I jumped at the opportunity to baby my seventeen year-old daughter. I kicked off my boots and crawled in bed next to her. She curled up in the fetal position next to me. I held her as she cried her eyes out. I felt like shit for letting this happen. I wasn't sure how to handle the situation, but I knew enough to take it easy with her. Never to leave her alone again.

And to handle Reese before he could hurt her again.

* * *

(No POV)

Letty was in a deep slumber when she was stirred by the ringing of the hotel room phone. Not bothering to remove her face from the pillow, she lifted the phone to her ear.

"This is a wake up call for Arletta Gonzales-Parker," the clerk's chipper voice annoyed her.

"Thanks," she replied, dropping the phone back on the receiver.

It was ten pm already. _Time to get moving,_ Letty thought. She woke Robbie and Denise, whom claimed the sofa as her bed for the night. She looked at Letty with a smile.

"Big day huh?"

"You bet."

"How long do you think it'll take?"

Letty mulled over this for a second. When she traveled across the country all those years ago, it had only taken her a few days. Then again, when you're running from pain, of course you'd cover a weeks travel in only three or four days.

"Depending on how fast we drive, about three and a half days."

"Great."

The two began packing all their things and loading their cars up. Ten minutes later, as Letty was checking them out, her cell phone began to ring.

"Yeah?"

"Letty..." the usually-cheery voice on the other end sounded solemn and sad, which made her feel uneasy.

"What's wrong Mia?"

"It's Rylan. Something happened last night..."

"Mia, get on with it," Letty hated when she drew things out.

"She was home alone with Reese … and he was only supposed to be there for a bit … and he tried-"

"What, Mia goddamn you're scaring me!"

"He tried to rape her!" at these words, Mia began hysterically crying.

Letty's head immediately began spinning as the words were processed in her brain. _Someone tried to hurt Rylan? _Someone that was becoming a nice friend, tried to hurt her baby? She couldn't wrap my brain around the thought.

"Mia, please tell me you're kiddin'," Letty's eyes were watering as she slowed her walk to the car. Denise approached her, her mouth moving, but her words not registering with Letty.

"Why the hell would I kid about that? She's devastated, Let."

"I'm on my way," Letty hung up and jogged to her SX.

"What's going on?" Denise didn't want to intrude, but she didn't like seeing Letty upset.

"I'll explain later. We have to get to LA. Fast," Letty jumped in her.

"Ready Mommy?" Robbie asked, a bright smile on his face. Letty put on the best front she could for him.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

* * *

(No POV)

"So what the hell are we gonna do about him?"

It was the question that was going through everyone's heads, but only Jesse having the heart to speak it aloud.

All of the Team was gathered in the Toretto living room, trying to devise an idea on how to handle what happened. It was no doubt that Dominic felt guilty about what happened. If he hadn't sent Reese with her to the hospital, last night wouldn't be a reality. If he had put his kid before work, she wouldn't be in his room traumatized.

"I wanna kill 'em," Vince growled.

"You ain't the only one," Leon added.

Dom wasn't all the way in the conversation. He sat staring at the rug underneath the coffee table, curious as to what to do. He wanted to murder Reese for even _contemplating_ hurting his daughter, but knew he would do no good to his family in jail. He would never go back to prison, not even for Reese Daniels.

"V, how long did you know?" he wanted to know why his so-called "best friend" kept such vital information from him.

"Since Rylan first showed up at the shop. He was lookin' at her all googly-eyed and whatnot."

"And you didn't bother to tell me?" Dom's voice raised, his eyes looking menacingly at Vince.

"Aye, I got onto his ass about that. I told him to cut the shit out 'cause it wasn't happening," V replied.

"I'm her fucking father! I deserved to know that!" Dom stood up, directing all of his fury on Vince. V didn't back down, showing Dom that he was ready to throw is necessary.

"Calm down! Dom, it's not Vince's fault! It's no one's fault here!" Mia intervened. She knew that if those two got started, they'd never stop.

Dom flopped down in the recliner, "Who am I kidding? I'm not cut out to be a father. I can't even protect my girl from getting hurt."

The Team was all surprised to hear Dom. It saddened them to hear the ever-so-cocky giant feel unsure about something such as fatherhood.

"What the fuck are you talking about? Aside of Tony Toretto, you're the greatest dad I know! Before you came here, you raised Koy on you're own. And look at him, the kid is great. He fucking adores you. Rylan is different from him. One, she's a teenager, so of course she's gonna make it difficult for you. You hardly know her, so you can't always know how she is. And she's your girl, so you are going to be harder on her. Some say daughters make their fathers men. They make 'em grow up and get their shit in line. Give it time."

Vince's words astonished the whole gang. Vince hated kids, or so he claimed, and the fact that he was speaking intelligently about them shocked the whole group.

"Coyote, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you got some kids running around that we don't know about," Leon joked, causing the much needed comedic relief.

"Shit, if you don't know about 'em, chances are I don't either," he replied, helping ease the tense atmosphere.

**-X-**

Upstairs, Rylan sat up against the head board, staring off into a daze. She had been that way most of the morning, and didn't intend on coming out of it anytime soon. She figured, the less out of reality she was, the less real the situation seemed. I wanted to hide out in Dom's room for the rest of her life, or at least the month.

Dom forbid anyone to go up and bother her while she was resting, so unfortunately, he was the only visitor she got every ten minutes. She was tired of him checking on her, but she knew she couldn't ask him not too.

Rylan felt herself fall into a deep slumber as she thought about her father.

A few hours later, a knock at the door woke Rylan. Figuring it was Dom coming to check on her for the 40th time, she granted him access.

"Hey. How's it going?" Stacy asked, her voice surprising Rylan.

"Oh you know, like I was smacked around and almost raped. The usual," Rylan replied sarcastically. "If you're here to tease me or annoy me, save it. I'm not in the mood for either," Rylan spat, turning her back to Stacy.

She knew Stacy like the back of her hand. When something drastic happened to Rylan back home, leave it up to Stacy to tease and ridicule her for it. She never let her live anything down, so why should now be any different?

"I'm not here to do that. I wouldn't at all," her sincerity made Rylan sit up. "I just came to check on you. And give you this," she pulled out a paper from her pocket. "Guess you put it on him, huh?" she smiled. Rylan smiled slightly. She would never admit it, but she actually enjoyed Stacy when they weren't fighting. After all, Stacy was the older sister and Rylan was always vying for her attention.

The front of the paper said the last name she wanted to see or head: Neiko. Rylan waited until Stacy was gone before she opened the paper.

_**Rylan,**_

_**I noticed you weren't at school today. I hope I didn't scare you off. Sorry about yesterday, I was a total dick. I think I really like you and I don't want you to hate me.**_

_**If you'll forgive me, maybe we could hang sometime?**_

_**-Neiko**_

Rylan's heart thumped harder every word she read. She despised Neiko, but the note proved how much more she liked him. He was admitting that he was wrong, something Rylan wasn't use too. She actually liked a guy and he liked her back. Again, something she wasn't accustomed too.

For once in her life, Rylan was happy.

Rylan finally re-entered the real world around 4:30 pm two days later. The letter had really brought her spirits up and she felt like she could leave Dom's bedroom now. She crept into her room and grabbed a change of clothes and went into the shower. Even in the steaming hot water, she couldn't keep the grin off her face.

Rylan made her first trek in days down the stairs with a smile. The whole gang minus Vince and Leon lounged around the living room, watching an old action flick. Dom had called a "family emergency" for the past two days and promised they'd pick up the slack double-time tomorrow.

"Where's V and Le?" Rylan asked, wondering where her two favorite guys ran off too.

"Went on a beer run," Dom replied, jumping off his recliner and walking over to the stairs. "How are you?"

"I'd be fine if you'd quit hounding me. Koy, grab that skateboard of yours and show me what you got," she called, nodding her brother towards the door.

She wanted to feel the cool Los Angeles breeze and spend time with Koy. She hadn't had much alone time with the kid and realized she didn't know much about him.

Jack the Jack Russell Terrier followed them out of the house, barking for Rylan's attention. While Koy coasted down the sidewalk, Rylan sat in the grass, petting the dog.

"So you into cars?" was the only thing she could think to ask the eleven year-old.

"Totally. I always ask my dad for one but he pulls the _'You're too young, blah, blah, blah'_. Whatever," he waved off. "It's cool though. I prefer my board. It gets me from A to B and I don't have to worry about gas," Rylan laughed at him. She liked that he had a sense of humor. She guessed you would need one living with Dom Toretto.

"So does Dom always act like King Kong or is it just 'cause of my mom?"

"Hey, that's a good one," he laughed. "He's always been bossy. Aunt Mia says he was even like that at my age. He's an awesome dad though. Couldn't ask for a better one," he kick-flipped his board into the air. "He says you guys might be moving in. That'll be cool as shit," he cursed.

"Yeah. I think he and my mom are going to hook up again," both siblings shivered, then grinned at their sibling behavior.

Dom watched from the window as his children interacted. He liked that they were talking and getting to know each other. If he wanted to talk Letty into staying, the kids being close would be a huge factor.

"Dom, why don't you quit hovering and sit," Mia griped from the sofa.

"I liked you better when you weren't pregnant," Dom replied with a smile.

Vince's Maxima roared up the street as they parked in the driveway. Both Vince and Leon exited the car, two cases of Corona's in hand.

"Aye, thought you were scared of the sunlight, Pumpkin?" Leon joked, ruffling Rylan's hair as he walked by her.

"Hardy har. Jackass," she mumbled as he disappeared into the house.

(Rylan)

Later that night, I was in my own room finishing up homework that Stacy brought home, considering I was headed back to school the next day. I couldn't fully focus because Dom and Jesse were putting up a new, stealthier door.

"Don't worry, I'm not trying to work," I said sarcastically as Dom hammered the hinges into the wall.

I searched for my Trigonometry book in my messy bed, instead finding the letter Neiko wrote me. I grinned ear to ear as I thought about those words. _I think I really like you_. I smiled as I decided to write him back.

_**Neiko,**_

_**You didn't scare me off. I've been dealing with a lot. And yes, you were a dick. You deserved the broken noses my Dad and I gave you. Don't feel bad. Your nose broken a few knuckles of mine. Congrats. Anyways, I'll chill out if you do.**_

_**Deal?**_

_**P.S: I don't hate you.**_

_**-Rylan**_

I found the brevity of the note satisfying. It said a lot in it's shortness. I just hoped the Neanderthal could read between the lines.

"Aw, is that a love letter?" Jesse teased, launching for the paper. I clutched it to me as he wrestled me for it.

"Jesse, leave her alone," Dom laughed, pausing to watch us. I giggled as Jesse tickled me, which resorted in me letting go of the note.

"What do we got here," he said, unfolding the paper. He hesitated before speaking, "Jesse is so cute and his car is the best."

I was completely bamboozled by his words. They didn't match what I had written. He was keeping it hush. I was thankful. I didn't want Dom to freak that I liked Neiko. The one boy he hated. The one who got his babygirl drunk.

"You're a goofy kid," Jesse smiled knowingly at me. He tossed the note on the bed and went back to helping Dom.

I heard the distinct sound of a high-powered engine driving near the house. My curiosity got the best of me as I stood and looked out the window. My heart jumped into my throat at the car parked in front of the house. I ran to Dom's room, grabbing the baseball bat he kept next to the bed.

"Rylan, what is it?" Vince asked from his place on the sofa.

I ignored him, bursting open the door and speeding out.

"You got some fucking nerve!" I screamed at the man walking up to the house.

His whole face was swollen and both eyes were nearly shut. He had bruises covering his face and black eyes that looked like he fought with Mike Tyson.

"I'm sorry! I just want to apologize," he slurred. When he opened his mouth, four of his top teeth were missing.

"What the fuck are you doing back here?" Dom roared from behind me. He tried to approach Reese, but I used the bat to stop him.

"I'm sorry Dominic! You guys are the only family I got," he begged.

"You have two seconds to turn around before I bash your skull in," I threatened, wanting to get my piece of him.

"Please!"

Just as I started approaching him, two more cars floored it down the street, screeching to a halt in front of the house. One of the cars I didn't notice, but the other wasn't easy to forget. A deep maroon Nissan Silvia 240SX. Mom's car.

"What the hell is going on?" she barked, walking slowly up the sidewalk. Her friend stood behind, unsure of herself. "Robbie, go inside."

"Letty, it's good to see you. How's Ryan?" It was obvious that Reese was terrified of Letty by the way he was holding his hands up and backing away.

In one swift movement, Mom had Reese on the ground and her pocket knife to his throat.

"You fucked with the wrong family."


	26. Casanova

**Thanks for the reviews. You guys are wonderful! And to reward you, here is a Dotty chapter. I really like this chapter, hope you do too!**

**Random: I was watching the Maxim Hot 100 and Jordana Brewster (Mia) made number 9! WooHoo hottie!**

**Chapter 26**

The Team stood quietly as Letty held the knife on Reese's neck. No one wanted to make a sound, for fear of a sudden movement would result in her killing Reese.

"You fucked with the wrong family," Letty growled evilly, hovering over Reese's battered body. "That girl, she belongs to me. You don't know me well enough to get on my bad side, but you have. You fuck with my blood, my child, you pay."

"Letty, don't do this," Dom's voice was low and gentle. He wanted to try to talk her out of the crazy idea, though part of him wanted to salute her.

Letty's hand shook angrily, the blade vibrating on Reese's neck. He laid absolutely still, careful not to startle her into cutting him.

"Get the fuck off me!" Reese yelled, fed up with the attacks. He had only wanted to apologize and try to get back on Dom's good graces, but he knew it was highly unlikely.

"Doesn't feel good, huh? Bastard," Rylan yelled, trying to keep from beating Reese's face in with the bat.

The sound of police sirens in the far distance got everyone's attention, even Letty's.

"Come on Let. Let him go," Denise said, putting her hand on Letty's shoulder. As if touched by an angel, Letty snapped out of the trance. While standing up, she purposely leaned all of her weight on the blade, praying it would penetrate and completely behead him.

"You fuckin' bitch! You're gonna pay for this," Reese threatened as he touched his fingers to his bloody neck. Apparently, Letty had held the knife so hard to his throat, that it sliced him. And good.

"Get the fuck off my property! If you know what's good for you, you'll stay away," Dom yelled, his temper rising. Nobody threatened his girl, especially while he stood and watched.

"You all better watch your backs," was all he said before he jumped in his car and sped down the block.

Dom ushered the whole Team into the house quickly before the cops showed up. He didn't want to have to deal with law enforcement any more than he had too.

"Letty, what are you doing here?" Mia asked as Lisa began distributing beers to the whole gang. "And who's your friend?"

"This is Denise Clark. She was Ryan's doctor. She needed to take a vacation, so I brought her along," Letty replied, her arms wrapped tightly around Rylan. She wasn't about to let her go for anything. "Denise, this is Mia. She used to work at the hospital before that happened," Letty smiled, pointing to Mia's belly.

"That is her husband, Vince. The soon-to-be newlyweds, Leon and Lisa," Denise gave them her congrats while they shook hands. "That's Jesse, the Mad Scientist. Big guy is Brick. Don't worry, he doesn't bite."

"Unless you like that kind thing," Brick wiggled his eyebrows, which made Denise blush. Denise definitely found Brick attractive.

"Hey, what happened to Petra? Your old girl," Letty questioned, remembering hearing about Brick's girlfriend on her first day back.

"Ditched that skeezer a long time ago. No good woman. Who knew she only liked me for my car?" Brick joked, shrugging it off.

"_I_ only like you for your car," Rylan added with a smile. The family laughed as Letty continued the introductions.

"The baldy is Dominic. I told you about him," Letty said simply. Letty and Dom exchanged looks, which seemed to raise the temperature in the room.

"Ah. The infamous Dominic. Heard a lot about you," Denise said, shaking Dom's hand. She would not ignore the pure beauty of this man. He had been everything Letty explained. And some.

"All good, I hope," Dom smiled at Letty.

Letty turned to the children, who were all sitting on the sofa.

"That's Dom son, Koy. That's my oldest Stacy and this is Rylan," Rylan was still clutching the baseball bat, but smiled politely at the doctor.

"How's my dad?" Stacy asked from her spot on the couch. Letty looked at her doctor, giving her leeway to speak.

"Not very well, I'm afraid. He's still in a comatose state," Denise said, hating to break the news to the whole family.

"I'm sorry to hear that Let. I'd love to sit and chat, but my ankles are killing me. You aren't gonna run off again, are you?" Mia smiled, trying to gather herself from a recliner. Vince ran to her aide, helping her up.

"No Mi, I'm here to stay," Letty said, her eyes on Dom when she spoke. His brown eyes seemed to light up at her words.

"Good. Vince! Get the door," Mia yelled, everyone watching as Vince ran to the door.

"You got that boy trained well," Letty laughed, watching as Vince carried Mia's purse on his shoulder.

Vince flipped Letty off as he followed Mia out the house.

"Ok, clear out. We'll open shop in the morning," Dom's authoritative voice boomed. Everyone said their goodbyes and cleared out of the Toretto home, leaving Dom, Letty, Denise, Jesse, and the children. Jesse disbursed to his bed while the kids went to bed.

"You ladies can have the bed. I wanna make sure the Idiot doesn't come back," Dom said, reaching into the nearby closet for a blanket.

He saw the girls off to bed and went to the kitchen for a beer. He needed it after tonight.

Dom reached into the fridge, grabbing the first long-neck Corona he saw. As he stood up, he could feel another presence in the room When he turned around, he couldn't stop the grin from curling up on his lips. She still looked as gorgeous as she did before, even after almost killing a man. She wore hip-hugging jeans with a white tank top. She had on a maroon leather jacket that seemed vividly familiar.

_His_ jacket.

One he had given her years ago, the night before Race Wars. What Dom didn't know was that it had been in her car, her trunk, for years. Hidden out of her sight. Even during the cold nights of her trip to New York, she refused to resort to it. She wanted no reason to look at the jacket that warmed the body of the man she loved all her life. She'd have rather frozen to death then depend on Dom Toretto again.

"What the hell happened while I was gone?" Letty's attitude caught Dom off guard. He wasn't expecting that, for once.

"Shit got out of control," Dom replied, reaching back in the fridge. He sat the beer on the table for Letty, but she pushed it away. "Did you just refuse a … a Corona?" Dom said with pure shock.

"I don't drink. Not Corona anyways," Dom was unsure of this new Letty.

"But at the barbecue you had one."

"I took it because you offered it. And if you can remember that far back, I only took two drinks out of it," Letty went to the fridge and replaced the Corona with a water. "You didn't answer my question."

Dom sighed heavily, running his hands over his head. "I have no idea what happened. We were bonding for a while, then she wanted to come to the races one night. You know how the races are, those guys are pervs."

"Touché," Letty said sarcastically.

"Anyways," Dom continued,"I just didn't want to have to deal with idiots messing with her. So I sent her home. I guess she wanted to get me back, so she went to a party and got drunk off her ass."

"How old were you and I when we went to our first street race?" Letty asked.

"Shit, like fifteen or sixteen," he laughed at the memory.

"Exactly. She's seventeen. She's a big girl, so you probably offended the shit out of her. How'd you handle it?"

"So far, she's been grounded for a week. Hasn't been at the shop since then."

"Ouch. So how'd this Reese thing begin?" Letty got riled up again at the thought of him.

"Vince said he's had the hots for Ry since she showed up. I just can't believe nobody told me," Dom said, still angry of the secret that almost got his daughter raped.

"Well, believe it. Hopefully it's over now," Letty couldn't stop the yawn that came. She was exhausted from the drive. "I'm gonna get some rest though. We're gonna go house browsing tomorrow."

Dom perked up at this. House browsing? Why was he under the impression that they were living with him? He had to find some way to talk her into staying. He couldn't lose her again.

"I thought you guys were moving in here? We have plenty of room, you know that," he said, standing to follow her out the kitchen.

"Come on Dom. I don't want to just burst in here and take over your house. You and Koy live here. I have enough money to find a good place for the kids, Jesse, and I. I'm not sure if Denise wants to room here or not," she rambled to herself.

"Letty, you can't be serious. You know you're welcome here just as much as anyone else. It'll save you money," Dom felt as if he was almost begging. He didn't care. He'd get down on one knee and beg if he had too.

Letty turned to face Dom. She always did love his persistent attitude. He never gave up on anything.

But she wasn't sure if she wanted to live with Dominic again. At least not this soon. She wanted to fight off everything she still felt for him, and knew it would be damn hard to do that living with him. It was no doubt that she missed Dom Toretto. She missed everything about him and everything he stood for. But she hadn't forgotten about him leaving.

He left the whole family without a goodbye. Without a phone call or letter. Without her.

That was something she couldn't except.

"Goodnight Dominic," Letty said, putting her hand on his cheek. His face was soft and it made her hand tingle.

Dom shut his eyes at her touch, hoping it wouldn't end too soon. When he finally opened them, she was stepping back, making her way to the stairs. He decided then that he would take it slow. Give her time to warm up to him again.

"Night Let," he whispered as he locked up the house.

* * *

The following morning, Dom let the women sleep in while he dropped off the kids off to school. Jesse left him at home, going with Leon to pick up parts from Harry. As Dom was returning to the house, he noticed Letty and Denise unloading their cars. He finally noticed the BMW that Denise was driving, and gave an approving nod.

"Ladies," Dom greeted, his eyes lingering a second too long on Letty. It didn't go unnoticed as she stared right back at him. "Let me help you," he offered, grabbing one of the three bags out of her car. He was surprised her small trunk could hold all the weight.

"I could've got that," she smirked, slamming her trunk shut. She managed to grab a glance at his ass as he walked away.

He looked over his shoulder at her, catching her staring at his behind. He smiled arrogantly, "I know."

The three traveled inside and trekked up the stairs.

"So Let we still on for today?" Denise asked, stopping at the top of the stairs. She and Letty decided to share the last available guest room, three doors down from Dom's room. Of course, he wanted to talk her into rooming with him, but he wasn't going to push his luck.

"Yeah. I don't want to go to far though. Robbie's going to want to come over for Koy all the time," she replied, her and Dominic locking eyes. He knew she was lying through her teeth. _I want to be closer to Dom_, was what she meant, but she wouldn't dare speak it out loud.

Denise agreed, dropping her things off in the guest room. She retired to the room to catch sleep until Letty was ready to head out to house hunt. Plus, she knew Letty and Dom needed time to talk.

Dom went to the bathroom located in his room to gather his thoughts. He couldn't help but think how sexy Letty looked, even in her pajamas with her hair in a wild ponytail.

Dom didn't let it go unnoticed how much his Letty had grown up. She was a couple inches taller, but even after having two kids, she was still thin and toned. Her dark brown hair from high school was lighter, but fuller. She even had a few gray hairs her and there.

She was a woman now. And his game that used to work on any lady, including her, was no longer going to be good enough. He would have to really step it up if he wanted to win her heart again. _Time to pull out all the stops_, Dom thought to himself.

The smell of his armpits brought Dom out of his trance. He grimaced, deciding a shower would be best before work. Just as he stripped his shirt off, there was a knock at the door. Pulling it open, he recognized the lust in Letty's eyes.

"Sorry. I needed to..." Letty paused, her eyes raking over Dominic's chest. She had forgotten how amazingly ripped he was. The way his giant Pecs acted as a rooftop over his giant, but perfect abs, caused a tension all throughout Letty's body. She involuntarily licked her lips as her eyes continued to travel south. Her heart rate sped up as she noticed the way his black Dickies pants hung dangerously low on his hips, revealing his fantastic v-cut. Letty's breath caught in her throat as she dared to look lower.

"Um-hm," Dom cleared his throat just as Letty's eyes were stopping on the jackpot. "You needed something?"

Letty snapped out of her daze, trying to ignore the burning she felt in her jeans.

"Shower. I'll wait," she smiled, turning away quickly. She ran down the stairs and into the kitchen. She said fuck her "no-drinking" clause and grabbed a cool Corona from the fridge. Cracking it open, she gulped down half the beer in one drink. _That was close_, she thought with a smile.

Letty relaxed on the sofa with her beer for the next twenty minutes, letting her mind drift elsewhere. She tried to think of everything she could. She wondered why she didn't just go to the other shower, which was located at the other end of the hallway. It would have saved her the embarrassment of being caught staring like a schoolgirl. _I always did love Dom's shower. It was so much bigger. And it held wonderful memories of Dom and I._ She thought about how much better she felt being back in L.A. She thought about Leon's wedding and wondered who'd replace Reese in it. Letty thought Mia's twins and wondered how Vince would be as a dad.

As she indulged in her thoughts, she didn't hear the loud footsteps coming down the stairs. She was staring blankly at the TV, which wasn't on, so she didn't notice him staring at her either.

"All yours," Dom said from behind her. Letty turned to him as he strolled by her in only a towel that hung so low it nearly killed her. He still had beads of water pouring down his body, as if he didn't dry himself off at all. Letty drooled as she stood from the sofa, watching as Dom walked past her into the kitchen. She caught another look at his ass, which looked even more perfect in the wet towel.

_**Twenty minutes later...**_

Dom sat casually on his bed, staring aimlessly at the TV. He enjoyed the sound of the shower going, mainly because of the naked beauty that occupied it. Dom tried to think of everything he could to keep his mind off Letty. Last thing he needed was her to walk out of there and see what was going on in khakis. He was so into the soothing feeling the sounds of the shower gave him that he was flustered when it stopped. He then realized Letty was coming out of the shower. Dominic grabbed the nearest pillow and stuffed it in his lap, pretending to be lazily leaning on it.

"I can't believe you still haven't fixed that towel rack in there," Letty said, running her hands through her soaked hair. It hung down past her shoulders, over the towel that was tucked under her arms.

"Actually, Leon fixed it. But..." Dom trailed off, his eyes running down Letty's body. The way water dripped down her shoulders made his neck-hair stand on end. His imagined the beauty going on underneath that towel, and had to fight off the growl that threatened to escape. The way the towel stopped inches above her knee didn't leave much to Dom's imagination. His eyes traveled lower, landing on her small, but muscular legs. He always did admire how smooth they were. _And how they looked in the air,_ he thought. Dom bit his lip instinctively as he stopped on her feet. He wasn't much of a foot man, but Letty feet were the prettiest he had seen.

"But...what?" Letty asked, bringing Dom back to reality. This time, she had a shit-eating grin on her face. She realized that he had been staring, just like she was. Thankfully, she couldn't seem just how _excited_ Dom was behind the pillow.

"But it broke," he said simply, still unable to peel his eyes off her. He didn't care if he was caught staring.

Letty laughed, "Right," she said before going back to the bathroom to brush her teeth. "I guess I'll see you later," she said, starting for the door. Dom stood up quickly, beating Letty to the door. He looked down on her with those puppy-dog-eyes that he knew she couldn't resist, even for a second.

"You need something?" Letty asked, gripping the towel as hard as possible to avoid touching him.

"You," Dom muttered inaudibly.

Letty gave a nervous laugh, "Real cheesy, Dom." She tried to side step him, but he moved with her.

"You have no idea how bad I want to rip that towel off you, toss you in that bed, and show you how much I've needed you."

Dom's voice was so sensual that it didn't help with the aching she felt between her legs.

Letty wanted to brush his comments off, but she couldn't help playing into his game.

"And why don't you?" she asked lustfully.

"Because..." Before he had time to reply, his cell phone rang, instantly killing the excitement in the atmosphere.

"What?" he growled into the phone.

"You Dawg, you coming to work today or what?" Leon asked from the other line. "Come on man, we're crazy packed."

Dom grunted and hung up the phone.

"Duty calls, huh?" she said, not caring to hide her disappointment.

"Guess so," he replied. He let go all inhibitions and swooped down, catching Letty's lips in a kiss. He didn't want the moment to end as he tasted the sweetness of her mouth. Just as he was about to rip off Letty's towel, his cell rang again. This time, Letty broke the kiss and pushed him away.

"See ya later, Casanova," she smirked, opening the door for him. He left hesitantly, leaving Letty a mess in his room. She bit her lip to relax and decided to get dressed.


	27. Affection

**Thanks for the reviews. Keep 'em coming. Reese is going to disappear for a while, but he will definitely be back.**

**Chapter 27**

(Rylan)

I sat in Spanish class that morning with the worst headache. I hated being there. Though, I was happy to say my Spanish was improving tremendously. We sat in groups, practicing Spanish terms. I was grouped with Turbo and two other girls, neither of whom I could've cared less about.

And even though he was annoying, I had taken a liken to Turbo. He meant well. Turbo hadn't spoken to me since the night of his party, and I was curious as to why. Probably had something to do with the shiner he was sporting.

"What happened?" I asked him, looking down at my notes.

"Nothing," he lied, a twinge of attitude in his voice. It was then that I knew it had something to do with my dad.

"You done bullshitting me?" I asked, locking eyes with him.

"Let's just say your people _really_ hate when they are disobeyed," he answered, flipping through his notebook for the translation of a term. I felt bad for whatever happened to him.

"Who did it?" I wanted to know who had a ass-whooping coming at home.

"Vince. It's cool though, I deserved it. I shouldn't have taken you to that party," he shrugged, as if he was no big deal. I rolled my eyes, sick of people taking blame for what happened.

"Look, I went to that party because I wanted too. I got drunk 'cause I was an idiot. I wasn't forced, so nothing was your fault. And you damn sure don't deserve that shiner," he smiled a little.

"¿Rylan, usted trabaja no son usted?" _Rylan, you're working aren't you?_ Mrs. Eduardo called from the front of the class.

"Por supuesto," _Of course_ I replied, turning back to Turbo.

"What happened to your hand?" Toby asked, noticing the cast that covered my hand.

"Your brother's nose," I smirked thinking of the memory. I hadn't seen Neiko all day, so needless to say, I was anxious for fourth block to roll around.

"Yeah, I heard about that. Told him he was a dumbass for messing with you," I smiled at him. No matter how annoying he was, Turbo was a sweet kid. I could see him easily becoming my Cece of LA.

"I think he's learned his lesson," I replied, remembering the note. I had walked around with it tucked in my back pocket all day. Any chance I had, I pulled it out and read it. It actually put me in a better mood, despite the past few days. "How's he been?"

"Your name is the only one said in our home," Turbo said with a sarcastic tone. I had a feeling he didn't like the connection Neiko and I shared, but I couldn't help it. Neiko was extremely charming and no matter what, I couldn't quit him so quickly.

Later that day, fourth block began excitingly. I had only been gone for two days and the taxi's had already starting coming together nicely. One of them were bright red with a carbon fiber hood and full body kit. Another was sky blue with a spoiler and hood scoop. The third was a pearl white color with swinging doors, meaning they open either way. And the fourth, which was worked on by Neiko himself, was all black with batwing doors and a roll cage. I thought about what he would do with the graphics, then remembered he begged Mr. Breckner if he could keep it all black. _Simple man,_ I thought.

"Good to have you back, Parker," Mr. Breckner called from the back. He had the old engine out of the Dart and was removing the old, busted windshield.. "Get changed, we need to pick the slack."

I didn't waste time as I ran to the locker room to put on my coveralls. Making my way out, I noticed Neiko approaching his taxi. I didn't say anything when I approached him. His back was turned, so I found that as a perfect time to slip the note on the hood of his car. When I made it back to my station, Mr. Breckner eyes me carefully. "You know what you're doing?"

I looked over at Neiko as he noticed the letter, lifting it from the hood.

"Yeah, I think so," I replied as Neiko smiled at me.

Throughout Auto class, Neiko and I flirted like there was no tomorrow. We passed heart-warming glances back and forth across the shop. When we borrowed tools, we let our touches linger longer than they're supposed too, which set off a fire in me. I couldn't look at him without a mile-wide smile taking over my face. Neiko didn't have the best reputation when it came to girls, but I always did admire a bad boy. I would just have to take more precaution with this one.

"Parker, hand me that scraper, will you?" Mr. Breckner asked from his position underneath the Dart. "This thing's filthy under here."

I was too busy having a staring match with Neiko to even listen to Mr. B. My heart was doing front flips and from the winks and smiles Neiko gave me, there wasn't a chance in hell that I could stay away from him. Regardless of the warnings from Turbo.

"Parker, get your head out of your ass and pass me that scraper!" Mr. Breckner yelled, snapping me out of our game.

I grabbed the scraper, and because he was interfering with my good mood, I tossed it under the car rather rudely. He groaned, but didn't retaliate.

At the end of the school day, I realized that I hadn't gotten much work done at all. My activity for the day consisted of flirting and talking with Neiko across the room.

"Rylan," Mr. B called out after I changed out of my coveralls. "Tomorrow, come in here ready to work. Leave the personal shit at home," he said angrily. I nodded. I hadn't realized how useless I had been all day and I felt bad for leaving Mr. Breckner on his own. Then again, there wasn't much I could do with a broken hand.

"Won't happen again," I promised, shouldering my bag.

On my way out of the school, I noticed the same car that was parked outside the house the night. It was Denise's BMW. I was curious as to why she was here, but my questions were put to rest when Arletta stepped out. Before I could make it over, someone grabbed my hand.

"Hey Rylan. You think maybe we could hang out sometime? Maybe go see a movie?"

I had never been asked out before, so of course Neiko's words took me by surprise. I wanted to say yes immediately, but I remembered being grounded, no thanks to him.

"I'd love to, but on account of that party, I'm grounded indefinitely."

"Oh, bummer. Maybe I should talk to your dad about that," he replied with a smile. I knew my dad hated Neiko with a passion and I knew he wanted to mess with Dom. I gave him a look that said to let it go. "Alright, I'll see you later," I was caught off guard by Neiko kissing my cheek. I felt my face burning as I turned away.

_It has been the most fucked up and amazing week of my life._

* * *

(No POV)

As much as she wanted to, Letty didn't question Rylan about the boy Stacy recognized as "Neiko". Back in New York, Rylan wasn't interested in dating. When Letty tried to talk to her about the birds and the bees, Rylan gave an obnoxious snort and left the room. Letty would have to learn more about that later.

"So where are we going, Mom?" Stacy asked from the backseat.

"Gonna find a place us to live," Letty said, giving Denise directions to the next house.

"What?! What do you mean? I thought we were going to stay with Dad and Koy?" Rylan asked, completely shocked by what her mother was saying.

"Since when did you care about Dom?" Letty asked sarcastically. She liked hearing Rylan call Dom "Dad", but she couldn't help teasing her.

"I don't," Rylan lied, "I've already gotten comfy in the house. It'll suck to move all our stuff out."

"You guys don't understand. We need our own space. We can't just take over Dom's house. You have to remember, I haven't seen Dominic in years. We aren't as close as we used to be," Letty explained.

"Bullshit!" Both Stacy and Rylan exclaimed simultaneously. Denise guffawed, unable to keep her laughter under control. She had spent most of the morning trying to convince Letty that she and Dom would end up sleeping together by the end of the week. She knew true love when she saw it. "I see the way he looks at you. Same way Rylan looks at Neiko," Stacy joked, receiving a punch in the arm.

"Knock it off," Rylan laughed. "Seriously Mom. What about Rob and Koy?"

Letty laughed, "That's funny. That's the same excuse Dominic used when I told him."

Denise finally arrived to the location of the next house, which was conveniently positioned about ten minutes from Echo Park and the garage. When Letty talked to the real estate agent, she was smooth in sweet-talking Letty into actually going to see the house. Letty knew that she could afford it, with all the money Ryan constantly put into her bank account. As they pulled up to the house, Letty gasped at the beauty of the house. It was a pale yellow color with blue shutters. It was two stories with a large wrap-around porch and a concrete three-car driveway. There was a large yard and from what Letty could see, the beach had been located only a few feet from the back of the house. Letty liked it already. She enjoyed the homey feel it radiated.

"You must be Ms. Gonzales. I'm Rachel Eisenburg, Real Estate Agent. I've been trying to sale this house for a very long time," she said, shaking Letty's hand. "Let's go take a look inside, shall we."

Letty and the girls followed the woman up to the house. She unlocked the door and pushed it open, the smell of oranges immediately hitting Letty's nostrils. She loved the smell of oranges. This house was winning her over already.

"This place is huge," Stacy said, to no one in particular.

Saying the inside of the house was large was an understatement. The place was more than twice the size of the Fort. Rylan and Stacy noticed a pair of stairs to their left and decided to check it out. Rachel gave Letty and Denise the tour of the house. She showed them the immaculate living and dining areas, which Letty loved instantly. She told them about the basement that held more rooms if needed.

"And this is the kitchen," Letty was in awe at the size of the kitchen. It was huge! Marble countertops rounded the room, with a large, stainless steel stove and oven in the center of the kitchen. A stainless steel refrigerator stood to the left next to two, white double doors. Denise pulled them open to reveal a large open space full of shelves. "Pantry," Rachel said.

"Mia would love this place," Letty whispered to herself.

She left Denise with Rachel and made her way out a back door, which led to the back yard. It was a wide open space, but what made it more amazing was the ocean. It sat only a few feet away from where the back yard ended. The way the tan sand contrasted with the deep blue ocean made Letty feel at home instantly. The wind blew, bringing the cool smell of saltwater to her nostrils.

"Beautiful, huh?" Rylan's voice called out. Letty looked around for her, but didn't see her. "Up here," she called from a balcony above. Letty hadn't even noticed it there.

"Change your mind about moving?" Letty asked, knowing that she had found her dream home.

"Maybe," Rylan smiled, again disappearing.

Letty made it back into the house, finally traveling upstairs where she guessed Rachel and Denise were. She noticed many rooms located on either side of the hallway and wondered just how many bedrooms there were.

"Can you believe there's a game-room down there? Imagine how much Rob with love that!" Stacy said The room looked more like an arcade than a game-room. There were pinball machines, an area for the entertainment system, a pool table, and a mini-bar. Of course, Letty would have to keep that locked up from Rylan.

"Yeah, yeah. This place is nice," Letty replied, shrugging it off. She didn't want to admit how giddy she felt on the inside about the place. It was incredible. Letty had never owned her own home, and to maybe be able to buy it with Ryan's money only made her felt devious, but in a good way.

"Here's the master bedroom..." Rachel trailed off, opening a door. The room was massive with floor-length windows that overlooked the beach. "You could fit two California-size beds in here, that's how much room you have. It's incredible. Check out the walk-in closet," Letty and Denise followed the woman. She pulled open double-doors to reveal a large, spacious walk-in area. Split down the middle, both sides of the closet held shelves and racks for shoes or clothing. "You could have one side of the closet and she can have the other. I know some married couples that absolutely love sharing closet spaces, others hate it."

Letty looked at her with confusion, "Pardon me?"

"Well I just can't imagine how much of a heckle it is getting your things mixed up in a closet with your wife. I mean, you two look like you have similar style," Rachel finished, walking over to the bathroom.

"No ma'am, you have it all wrong," Denise laughed, "We aren't married. We just met a few weeks ago."

"Wow, and moving in already? It must be love," Rachel said with a skeptical smile.

"Smooth," Rylan said, walking out of the room to explore more of the house.

"No, we aren't together," Letty said through clenched teeth. She had nothing against gay people. It was just the fact that this Nimrod was just assuming they were together because they came to look at the house. "We're friends. Just looking for a place to stay."

"Oh," was all Rachel said to save herself. "Anyways, the bathroom..."

**-X-**

Letty and Rylan were sitting in Rylan's bed later that night going over the events of the previous weeks. Letty felt Rylan had become a new person the night she saved Letty from Ryan. She was stronger, a leader, and protective of her family: all qualities she inherited from Dominic.

Rylan had also noticed a difference in her mother. That night, Letty didn't allow Ryan push her around. She pushed back. She had a witty comeback for everything and wasn't afraid of anyone. She had returned to the woman she was years ago. The woman Rylan admired more than anything.

The two were sitting Indian style in her bed while Stacy wrestled around with Jack on the floor.

"So what was the deal with getting drunk?" Letty asked. It was way out of Rylan's character to do that.

Rylan shrugged nervously. She hated disappointing her mother.

"I don't know. I went to the party because he pissed me off. He embarrassed me in front of the whole scene. I wanted to have some fun."

"So you drink? Come on Rylan, you know better than that."

"Yeah, but Neiko was-" Rylan started.

"Neiko? This the same boy I heard you broke your hand over?" Rylan nodded. "Seems he gets you in a lot of trouble."

"Because she loves him," Stacy teased, squeezing Rylan's cheeks.

Rylan smacked her hand away, "Shut up!"

Letty was surprised how close Stacy and Rylan had become. _I guess tragedy can bring the worst of enemies together_. Staring at her hand, Letty then remembered the boxing gloves. She excused herself to go retrieve them.

"I found these in your room," Letty said, handing Rylan the gloves.

"Wow. I forgot all about these."

Letty found this as a perfect opportunity to talk to Rylan about Reese. She hadn't heard all the full story and she wanted to get to it. She asked Stacy to go hang with the boys, who were all camped downstairs. Denise retired to bed early, for she was off to her first day at the hospital in the morning.

"So start from the beginning and tell me about the Reese situation," Letty said.

Rylan started from the beginning, her anger flaring up every once in a while. Letty's hand clenched and un-clenched as she heard the story. What the hell was Dom doing leaving Rylan with a guy she didn't know? _Rylan doesn't know Leon or Vince either..._

_Bullshit Arletta! You've known Leon and Vince long enough to know they would never mess with a minor, especially your minor._

"Look Mama, I can handle it. I promise to tell you if shit hits the fan," Rylan promised. She just wanted to forget about it all now that her life seemed promising.

"I really wish you wouldn't cuss so much."

"I guess I get it from my dad," Rylan said with a smile.

* * *

(Letty)

Rylan and I joined the rest of the family downstairs. Koy, Robbie, Jesse, and Dom had created some type of fort in the living room out of pillows and sofa cushions. Stacy was in the recliner, watching with amusement as Dominic crawled out of the Fort. He had on a beater and Corona pajama pants that I found slightly sexy. The rest of the boys crawled out afterwards, all dressed similar.

"Those are attractive," I said to Dom, pointing to his pants.

"This is what I like to wear to pick up ladies. They love it," he swooned with a heart-warming smile. "You ladies find a place?"

"Actually yes. It's pretty huge with an incredible view. Six bedrooms, seven and a half bathrooms, game-room, balcony, and get this..." I paused for dramatic effect, "A wonderful beach in the backyard. It's great."

Dom looked pained in his eyes, but he didn't show it on his face. "Sounds great."

"It is Dom. The place is freakin' huge man," Stacy said enthusiastically.

I could tell Dominic wasn't happy hearing about the house. I figured he'd hope I'd change my mind over night about it. I still had time to think about it. I only put down a small deposit on it and told Rachel the Ignorant that I'd call her in two weeks if I had made a decision. I had an idea but had no idea if he'd go for it.

"Cool," he replied with a fake smile. "Alright guys. Time for bed."

The boys groaned, including Jesse, but fixed the cushions and pillows back where they belong. Dom kissed their heads as they marched up the stairs. Jesse pouted, which made Dom kiss his head too. Dom shook his head as he turned back to us.

"That means you guys too," he directed, pointing to Rylan and Stacy. He kissed Stacy's head and said goodnight. Rylan tried to get away with the show of affection by dodging towards the steps, but Dom caught her by the arm and affectionately pulled her to him, holding her a little longer than the others. I couldn't help but feel the love radiating off the two. No matter how much they claimed they hated each other, they didn't. I smiled warmly and looked away, feeling like I shouldn't be watching. When he finally let her go, I said goodnight to her and waited until she was upstairs before I spoke.

"You love her," I said childishly.

He smiled, "I do love her. But I don't like her."


	28. Growing Up

**Sorry for the hiatus, I started Everest Institute for Massage Therapy the other day and it's exhausting! Anyways, thanks for the amazing reviews, they keep this story rolling. This is a favorite chapter of mine, and it will be very long, beware.**

**P.S. Rest in Peace to Michael Jackson, Steve McNair, and Farrah Fawcett.**

**Chapter 28**

Dom looked at himself again in the mirror. _You still got it, Old Man_, he thought. He fixed his tie and ran his hands over his smooth head. He smiled and back away, looking at the clock above his head.

It was 9:54. They were supposed to be at the church by 10:30 A.M.

"Boys, hurry up! We _cannot_ be late today!" he yelled as he smoothed out the wrinkles in his black tuxedo. The guys all shuffled into the living room, all dressed alike in black tuxedos with peach undershirts. All except Leon, who wore an cream tux with a peach undershirt, which brought out his naturally tan skin.

Today was the big day: Lisa and Leon's wedding. It would be followed up with a huge barbecue at the Toretto house, everyone being invited. Then, the newlyweds would be off to their honeymoon in the Bahamas. It wasn't the most original place, but neither had been and didn't care to try it out. At the moment, Lisa and the girls left early to make sure everything was set up perfectly at the church.

"This is gonna be a long day," Vince groaned, chugging down the rest of his beer. Aside from his own wedding, Vince hated formal events. He hated dressing in suits, he hated having to deal with prim and proper people, and he definitely couldn't stand Lisa's in-laws. They were intense.

"C'mon Vincent, there's gonna be an open bar there. Don't get drunk before the wedding or Leon will have your head," Dom warned with a smile.

Instead of a witty remark, Leon only groaned as he checked himself in the mirror for the eightieth time that day.

"Fuck! My tie is crooked," he hissed, trying to untie the hindrance.

"Here," Dom said, undoing the tie. "Relax brother. It's your big day. You should be happy," he tightened and pushed the knot up to his collar. "There. Cold feet?" Dom asked with concern.

"No," Leon waved it off. "I just hope I don't fuck up. Her whole family is going to be there! Her mom and dad already can't stand me. Just imagine if I fuck up. Then I'm really gonna look like a dope."

"You already looked like a dope," Jesse joked, receiving a smack to the back of the head by Vince.

"If they hated you, you wouldn't be marrying their daughter. Come on, just relax. It'll go by smoother if you just chill out."

Leon nodded, taking a deep breath. He felt better already as the excitement began building up. Today, he would give his heart away to Lisa Coleman. He couldn't stop the wolfish grin from taking over his face. He wasn't nervous anymore.

"You ready for this?" Vince asked, patting his best friend on the back.

"I've never been more ready for anything else," Leon replied, determined.

The guys, including Brick, Koy, Robbie, and Jesse, all piled into cars and drove down to the church. Upon arrival, they noticed almost a hundred tuners, imports, and muscle cars parked around the church.

"Jesus Le, you would invite the whole scene to your wedding," Jesse said as they made their way inside.

"What? They're family," Leon said with a proud smile.

**-X-**

Letty slipped on her other heel as she checked herself in the mirror. She grinned like a Cheshire cat as she slipped on her earrings. _I haven't looked this good in years_, she thought to herself. She did a small spin, happy with her good looks. It wasn't often that she wore dresses, but she had to admit that the peach dress that stopped at her knees made her look younger and hotter. She checked the time on her cell phone.

It was 10:15. The boys were going to be late.

"Rylan, you actually look like a girl. Guess your not that much a freak after all," Stacy smiled smugly.

She and Rylan had been at each other's throats all day because of Stacy's constant teasing about Neiko. It was irking the hell out of Letty and she didn't want them to do it today. Not on Leon's day.

"If you two don't cut it out, I swear," Letty spoke very low and calm, which frightened them all. She looked at Rylan, who did look very feminine. It was the first time Letty could remember seeing her daughter in a dress in years, and she as much as she wanted to run and take pictures, she didn't want to embarrass her.

"Lisa, you look incredible," Mia gushed randomly, wiping the tears from her eyes. Her pregnancy didn't help her emotions and everyone knew she would be on edge all day. Rylan mentally noted to keep away from Mia as much as possible today.

"Thanks," she smiled, looking down at her long, cream dress. It was a Tiffany Bridal-styled gown with a beaded sweetheart neckline, an A-line bottom and a train. Her long, blond hair was tied up and all the jewelry she donned made her the brightest thing in sight. _Probably what she was going for_, Letty thought. "Any encouraging words for the next few hours?" Lisa asked with a nervous grin.

"Don't fall," Rylan added, receiving a scowl from her mother. She shrugged clueless. Lisa smiled at Rylan then turned to the mirror.

"You think he'll get cold feet?" Lisa asked as she fixed her diamond necklace.

"Leon? Hell no," Letty interjected. "If I remember him, if Leon was willing to go _full throttle_ on something, ain't no way in hell would he back out. Now, I guarantee he's shitting bricks about this time," the ladies all shared a laughed, which helped ease the mood.

At that moment, Mia's cell phone began ringing.

"Hello? … Hurry V, you guys can't be late! … Love you too," Mia closed her phone and rolled her eyes at it.

"They just pulled up. I swear, Toretto's would be late for their own funeral if they weren't already dead," she mumbled as she stood from a chair. Today she would be playing Maid of Honor to Lisa, a friend she has grown close to over the past six years. If Mia could have it her way, she'd be sitting in a wheelchair behind Lisa at the front of the altar. She didn't know if the twins would be up for standing all morning.

* * *

"Hey, hey! If it isn't the new groom," Leon recognized the familiar voice as he turned around, watching Hector approach him and the boys at the grill. "Congrats, eśe," he said as he gave Leon a manly shake-hug. He handed Le a small box wrapped with a yellow bow on top. "From the wife."

"Thanks man," Leon said, shaking the box.

"Where's the lucky lady?" Hector asked, wondering the the newlyweds weren't down each other's throats.

"She went to mingle with her family somewhere," Leon replied, waving around at the party.

The after party at the Toretto house had a massive turnout. Cars were lined up and down the road, and even had to spill out on another two blocks. Everyone bought food or beer, considering it wouldn't be a party without either. Loud music poured from speakers all around and Dom already had the grill burning. Surprisingly, there were no fights or arguments, and people didn't get too drunk, which was a change for a Toretto party.

Leon and the guys, still dressed in their tuxes (minus the blazers), surrounded the grill and dished on the wedding. It went by better than anyone thought, without any interruptions or delays. As Lisa's father, Jonathan, led his daughter down the aisle, he made sure to give Leon a kiss on the cheek, which made the whole crowd cheer with laughter. Leon managed to get through his vows without so much a stutter, and one-upped Vince by not falling any.

"Dom, I guess that means you're next huh?" Leon said with a smile, nudging him with his beer.

Dom looked at Leon like he was nuts. He hadn't thought about getting married very much, and still didn't want too. The thought of giving up his freedom to one woman forever scared the shit out of him. He could only think of one woman worthy of his love forever, and she was already married.

"Psh, no way," Dom said nonchalantly, brushing the homemade sauce on some chicken. "I'd rather have it be Koy and I."

"But it's not. Not anymore," Jesse added with a smirk. He was on his third beer and fifth shot of Tequila.

"He's right dawg, Letty's here. With _your_ kid," Vince said, poking Dom in the chest for emphasis.

At that moment, Letty's voice caught Dom's attention. He looked over, noticing her surrounded by Mia, Stacy, Rylan, and some of Lisa's friends. They were all laughing and joking, all ready having a good time. Dom noticed how at home Letty looked. It was like she had never left for over a decade.

Dom was in such a trance, he barely noticed Letty approaching with Mia and Lisa in tow.

"Speaking of the devil..." Vince muttered.

"Hey guys. Leon, Lisa is some woman. You better be good to her," Letty warmed, giving him a loving hug.

"Don't worry, Let. The new Mrs. Leonard Kestrel will be well taken care of," Leon replied, wrapping his arm around his new wife's shoulder. "We were just talking to Dom about him getting married. Mia, you gotta talk him into settling down. It's worth it, man. Plus, you're getting old," Leon said sincerely, walking away with his girl.

Letty and Dom locked eyes, both wearing wide grins. They didn't talk much about their future when they were younger, so marriage hadn't even been a option. _Neither had kids, but you see how that turned out_, he thought.

"Oh please, the day Dominic gets married pigs will fly!" Mia quipped, "C'mon V, you can fix me a plate of that potato salad."

One by one, each of the guys disbursed off into the party, leaving Dom and Letty standing in a strange and uncomfortable silence. Dom nursed a Corona, thinking of a way to get past the previous conversation that kept replaying in his mind. Would Dom be able to settle down? Or would he die a single man, the way his father had?

_No way_, he said to himself. His heart beat for only one woman in this world and he wouldn't dare give it away to another woman.

He had to have Letty.

_His_ Letty.

"Twenty years ago, if you would've said the boys would try to encourage me to get married, I'd probably laugh in your face," Dom smirked, thinking of all the devious one night stands the boys used to discuss back in the day.

Letty chuckled. She needed to do it. She had to talk to him now.

"You think it's somewhere quiet we could talk?" Letty's voice brought Dom back to reality. He nodded and called for Brick to man the grill. Denise followed him, as the two had become well acquainted.

Dom led Letty around the house and into the back door of the small garage. He shut the door and flipped a switch, a quick flicker coming from the ceiling. Dom sat on a bench and watched as Letty sauntered across the room, looking at the pictures of Mr. Toretto. Pictures Dom was positive she had seen before.

"So what's up?" he asked patiently.

"How long has your family owned this place?" the question shook Dom, but he thought about the answer.

"For as long as I've been born. My grandfather built this place in the '50s. After he died, my dad renovated it. Why?"

"Hasn't it ever crossed your mind … you know … to sell it?" Letty's heart pumped unusually fast.

Dom's eyebrows squished together with curiosity. He didn't know where this was going, but he didn't like it.

"Elaborate please," he said.

"Well, for as long as I've known you, you've lived here. Haven't you ever wanted to be somewhere else? Yo have something … new?" she stopped her gazing and leaned against a work table.

"I'm just fine here. This is my home. You used to think of it as home at one point too," his tone had an edge to it, something Letty had expected.

"Come off it Dom, I still do. This place has been just as much my safe haven as it's been yours. But isn't it time for a change? Don't you want Koy to be in a better neighborhood, to be away from all the bullshit that happens in Echo Park?"

Now Dom knew she was up to something.

But she had a point. Growing up in this neighborhood had never been easy on him or Letty. From the cops busting down a different house every day to idiot wannabe-racers harassing Mr. Toretto while he and Dom fixed the Charger. As much as Dom loved Echo Park, because it made him who he was, he desperately wanted out. All he life, he just wanted out. But he couldn't find it in him to leave his father's home. To leave behind the only thing he had left of his dad.

"What do you have in mind?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Letty mentally smiled, knowing that her plan was working. She took a deep breath before speaking, "What if you, Koy, and Jess move into the beach-side house with us? There's plenty rooms and it's closer to the garage..."

"No way. Thanks, but no thanks," Dom said without hesitation. He stood up, ready to walk out of the garage.

Before he could make it to the door, Letty stepped in front of him, putting her hands up to stop him. Putting her hands up to stop him, she could feel his muscles through his silk undershirt. A shock traveled through her fingertips and down her arms as her hands lingered on his pecs. When Dom tensed up and growled low in his chest, Letty knew this was her opportunity.

"Come on D," she said, her voice extra sensual. She arched her back as Dom put his hands on her lower back, a move she knew burned him up inside.

"I can't just sell this place. It's home. It has all my memories. Our memories," Dom said, his voice pained. "Memories are all I have now."

Letty moved her lips directly to Dominic's ear, the skin slightly making contact and sending a lightening bolt down Dominic's spine. He pulled her close so that their bodies touched.

"We can make new memories," Letty's lips touched just along Dom's jawline. She knew now that this moment was no longer part of the plan of talking Dom into moving in.

She couldn't remove her hands off his body. She missed the feel of Dom's firm body underneath her fingers. No doubt, it brought back some keen memories that Letty rather not forget about.

"How 'bout startin' here?" he asked in a whisper, leaning his lips down to Letty's. When she didn't hesitate, Dom crashed his lips down upon hers, reigniting the match that used to be their love.

Instantly, Dom's tongue darted in Letty's mouth, claiming her as his once again. Letty bit down on Dom's lip gently as he lifted her into the air his favorite way: by her ass. He sat her on the hood of the Road Runner and stood between her legs, never ending their marathon-long kiss. Hearts pumped as the adrenaline began to race through this bodies. Neither of them thought that on Leon and Lisa's wedding day, they'd be in the shed during a party about to consummate _someone else's_ wedding.

Letty was working on unbuttoning Dom's silk vest when the shed door began rattling. This didn't deter Dominic from getting what he wanted.

"Dom, stop! Someone's out there!" Letty managed to say after getting her lips away from his for a few seconds.

"So what," he said quickly, resuming the kiss.

Letty soon forgot about the intruder as Dom's hand traveled up her dress. His large mitts gently rubbed Letty's inner thigh, which only made her blood boil more. She clawed at him as she ripped his vest off. She nearly ripped the buttons off his shirt trying to get it undone. She wanted Dom bad. And she wanted him now.

The two were so enthralled with each other that they didn't hear the back door cracking open.

"Um..." the person called from the back of the Road Runner.

Dom and Letty jumped with surprise like teenagers caught in the act.

"I don't even wanna know. Just come eat," Rylan said, quickly exiting the awkward situation.

Letty laughed at how beet red Dom looked as he searched for his vest.

"What's so funny?"

"Your expression was priceless," Letty continued to chuckle as she hopped down off the car and fixed her hair.

"Whatever. Can we finish this later?" he asked, his eyes almost begging.

Letty gave Dom one last kiss, one that would last him for a while until she had time to figure this thing out. "Maybe."

* * *

For the remainder of the night, the Toretto home was a lavish celebration for the couple of the year. More people arrived and Dom began to get nervous. Even on race night, Dom had never had this many people in his home before. He wasn't sure the small, rickety home would hold up with such a large population. With his crazy, extended family all living under one roof, he was surprised it lasted as long as it did back in the day.

Currently, Dom sat isolated in a corner of the room, watching the people of the party interacting. The first person he noticed was Leon, talking in a group of cousins. He admired Leon for growing up and taking the plunge into marriage, considering how notoriously promiscuous he was. After the last heist, Leon grew up and got his act together, more than what Dom could say for himself. He became a leader and more of a brother rather than a friend.

Dom's eyes continued to travel as he spotted Jesse grinding on a brunette. Dom couldn't keep the grin off his face. Jesse always was a fan of PDA. Dom thought about telling the Kid to tune it down, but he didn't want to block Jesse's game. Jesse had come a long way from being the teenager obsessed with cars and partying, to being the young man obsessed with cars and family.

A shout of laughter turned Dom's attention over to Vince who was in the middle of a poker game with Hector, Edwin, Brick and other party people. Vincent Graciano. Dom's childhood friend and right-hand man. The most loyal member of the Team. Everyone outside the Team knew Vince as the "idiotic brute" who wasn't as spectacular a racer as Dom, or even Leon. But Dom knew Vince was more than that. He was an intellectual who cared about his family more than life, especially Mia.

_Oh Bella_, Dom thought with a smile. She was squeezing her way through the crowd towards Vince. Dom stood to help, but stopped when Brick instantly came to her rescue. Instead of getting jealous like normally, Dom only nodded. He looked at Brick as a big, little brother and knew Brick, formerly known was Braxton Smith, would take care of Mia just as Leon or Jesse would.

Mia handed Vince his beer and ran her hands over his head. Her smile was infectious and it only soothed Dom's soul. Mia had always plated the den mother to the team, cooking and cleaning up after them. She cared for them in a way Dom knew only she could. She made sure this very house was fit enough for them and vowed to Anthony Toretto that she wouldn't let anything happen to his home. Dominic knew he had to talk to Mia about Letty's offer. If anyone was going to sell the house, it would definitely have to go by Mia first.

"Mia!" Dom called over the loud speakers. She looked up, but wasn't sure where Dom's voice was. He tried pushing through the crowd and managed to make it half way before calling her again. Finally, she noticed him and directed him to meet her in the den.

"What is it D?" Mia asked, taking a seat on the love seat. Dom took a deep gulp of his beer and paced the room. He was unsure how Mia would react.

"So you know how Letty and Denise found that house? Letty came to me with an offer."

Mia furrowed her brows, but listened intently.

"Well, she said that if I wanted to sell the house, that Koy, Jesse, and I could move in with her..." Dom's voice was low. He didn't want Mia to start the waterworks.

Mia hesitated for a moment, letting the information register in her head. Their home for years … the last place she saw her mother … her father's home … it didn't make sense to Mia. Why would Dom, of all people, want to sell their home?

"I don't understand. We've lived here for years, Dom. Why would you wanna give our home to someone else?" Mia asked, her voice shaky.

"But Mia, you moved out a year ago. And we can't fit Letty and the kids in here comfortably."

"Come on, Dom. We managed to fit the whole team, and the cop in here. Plus the racer-chasers who slept over ever-so-often. I'm sure you and Leticia will manage," Mia said, struggling to stand from the sofa. When Dom went to help her, she gave him a death glare. _Too much pride_, Dom thought.

"Mia, I know you don't want to see it go. And neither do I. I love this place just as much as you do," Dom dropped his head in thought. "I don't want to lose Rylan again. I've already missed too much. And I can't allow Letty to walk out of my life again. I need her back. I can't do that with them living across town."

Mia knew Dom made a good argument. And there was nothing more Mia loved than Love itself. And seeing her brother in love with the woman he was supposed to be with, she couldn't deny him that much.

"I told Papi I would never let anyone take his home. I told him that I would look after it, and you," Mia's eyes watered as she looked at her brother. He had grown into a great man, a mirror to her father, and she was proud that he was finally getting himself together. "I wanna know every single that goes into selling it. I want to interview the people buying it and I want to approve the selling price. Got that?"

Dom lit up with happiness as he pulled his baby sister close to him. Tear pricked at his eyes, but he managed to keep them down.

"Thank you Bella. I promise it'll go to someone who deserves it."

"God it's so hard to let go of this place. We've had some crazy times here," Mia reminisced against Dom's chest.

"You got that right," Dom mumbled, feeling a bit shaken up. "You need anything? Another Snapple? You hungry?" Dom questioned.

Mia laughed, "You tryin' to compensate me with food for my childhood home?"

Dominic nodded with a lopsided smile.

"Cheeseburger with lots of pickles. And another drink."

**-X-**

After taking Mia her desired meal, Dominic couldn't help but think how happy Letty would be to hear the news. Though it pained him to think that he would soon leave the only home he had ever known, he knew being with his family would make it worth it.

Speaking of Letty, Dom decided he'd go find her. His heart, among other things, ached to be close to Letty at such a precious time of love. After scanning the living room, he pushed through the crowd of happy people and made his way to the kitchen. Without seeing her, Dom glanced out the kitchen window to see a small group of kids and Letty sitting on the lawn. Pushing open the door, he quietly approached them, listening in on the conversation.

"I can't wait until we figure out if we're moving or not. That house is crazy!" Stacy said with anxiousness. She, Koy, and Robbie were playing catching with the football.

"Don't get your hopes up Stace, we're still waiting on the Neanderthals answer. I hope he says yes," Rylan's voice spoke next.

Letty's laughed perked up Dom's senses, "Humor me Rylan, why is that?"

"Because the house is incredible and I don't want the boys to be separated. It's bigger, and uh..." Rylan stuttered, trying to think of another reason besides not wanting her and Dom to be apart again.

"It's a great opportunity to get to know each other a lot better," Dom said, finally entering the conversation. Letty and Rylan jumped, turning to see the overgrown Italian walking up to them.

"Look who it is, Mr. Hornball," Rylan insulted, referring to Dom's excited nature in the garage. "You're creepy, you know that?" She moved to join the game of catch.

"You want a beer, Ms. Miller Light?" Dom teased, referring to the beer she was happily chugging the night of the party.

"No, but I'd appreciate it if you wipe the hood of the Road Runner before you let me drive it again. I don't wanna catch 'Idiot'," Rylan replied with a sarcastic smile.

"Well I'd be an idiot if I let you drive it again, now wouldn't I?" Dom smirked, taking a sip of his drink.

"You two quit it," Letty said with a laugh.

Dom only shrugged with a smile as he sat down next to Letty.

"How long you been standing there?" Letty asked.

"Not long. I have some good news. But, we need to be alone to talk about it."

Letty looked at Dom with questionable eyes. He was just as sneaky as Rylan and she didn't like it.

"Where do you suggest we go? This place is covered with people," Letty mused, waving to the random people chasing each other outside the house.

"My room is empty," Dom offered a little too quickly.

"Wow, anxious aren't we?" Rylan commented from a few feet away. Dom was sure the kids couldn't hear, but with his voice, you could never be sure. He only grunted in reply and turned back to Letty.

"Fine. But any funny business and I'm outta there," Letty poked his chest for emphasis.

The two excused themselves and were able to make it upstairs unnoticed. After entering Dom's room, Letty couldn't help but notice how Dom-like it smelled in the room. His natural scent: Corona, oil, and sweat. It was musky, but damn Letty loved it. It was what a true man smelled like. Not Calvin Klein cologne, like what Ryan wore. Letty always did hate that smell.

"Sit," Dom sat, leaning against the door. Letty sat on the edge of the bed and crossed her legs, interested in the news Dom had.

"Can you believe Leon tied the knot?" Dom started with small talk. He wanted to keep Letty in his room for as long as possible.

"I know, it was weird. But Lisa's good for him. I just can't believe Vince got that plastered tonight," the two shared a laugh. Vince never could hold his beer.

"Yeah, that guy's a mess."

The two shared a companionable silence for a few minutes as they thought about today's activities. It had been hectic, but they managed to make it through it alive. The two even walked down the aisle together, which needless to say, was one helluva moment for the ceremony. Everyone whispered about how perfect they looked together and how they couldn't wait for Dom and Letty's big day. Letty couldn't pretend that she didn't hear the whispers and that somewhere deep down inside, she agreed.

Letty didn't realize she was smiling brightly until Dom waved a hand in front of her face.

"What's up Smiley?"

Letty shook out of her trance, "Nothing. So, what's the news?"

"I think I wanna move in with you guys."

Letty's eyes lit up, but she kept her expression blank. "Good. What changed your mind?"

"Well I talked to Mia about it. She said as long as she knows everything, it's cool."

"Well, what do you think?"

Dom thought for a second. He looked around his bedroom, one that was previously owned by Anthony Toretto, and thought about the many memories that were held in this particular room. The bed, which held many girls other than Letty. The closet, which used to hold all of Letty's belongings. The floor, where Letty would pass out after a long night of partying. The dresser, where all of Dom and Letty's pictures used to line up the mahogany wood.

Yeah, Dom would miss this place.

"I think I could get used to being in a new place," Dom said, walking up to Letty. She stood slowly to meet him. "And I definitely, _definitely_, don't want to lose out on you again."

"Kiss me and you won't have too," Letty whispered, pulling Dom's face to hers.


	29. I'm back!

**Thanks for the wonderful reviews. I wouldn't have the motivation to write if it wasn't for you guys! Keep reading & reviewing! Sorry for the month-long wait, but I got a job and I go to school, which makes it difficult to find free time. But I will update as soon as possible.**

**P.S.. Also, I'm pretty excited about "Faster Than Furious", which is supposedly the title of the fifth installment. Even if it's a rumor, I'm stoked about it!**

**Chapter 28**

A week later, after seeing Leon and Lisa off to the Bahamas, Dom accompanied Letty to meet the Real Estate agent at the beach-side home. Letty wasn't worried, she knew Dom would take to the place like the rest of them had. It was definitely large enough to fit them all, there was room for Dom to grill out, and the beach was only a few feet away. She knew how much Dom enjoyed the beach when they were younger, and she hoped that hadn't changed. Hopefully she could make it as much like home as the Echo Park place had been.

"Ah, Mrs. Gonzales, we meet again," Rachel said with exuberance as she stood on the lawn, patiently waiting for Letty and Dom. "Who is this handsome hunk?" Rachel asked, not bothering to hide her attraction to him. _Funny, she would assume I was with Denise, but not with Dom, who is a man_, Letty thought.

"Dominic Toretto," Dom held out his hand, throwing on the charm that swooned every woman in sight. Letty rolled her eyes at him. _Pig._

"Big brother huh?" she asked, scoping out Dom.

"Good friend," Letty answered, putting emphasis on 'good'.

"How _good_ of a friend?" Letty was flabbergasted at how blunt this agent was being. She failed miserably at trying to be flirty, and it was only hilarious to Letty.

"Like, he was moaning my name and pulling my hair a few nights ago. _That_ kind of good friend," Letty replied, the sting of her words even affecting Dom, bringing an embarrassed smile to his face.

Rachel opened her mouth, but couldn't think of an appropriate response. Letty kept on her smirking scowl as the agent stood, mouth agape.

"How 'bout we get started?" she nervously led them to the home.

Strolling behind Letty, Dom whispered to her, "That was Vintage Letty. And I didn't know I was a moaner."

Letty grinned, "I had to put that bitch in check. Plus, I didn't either. Who taught you that?" Letty smiled sarcastically and followed Rachel.

It was clear that Letty didn't care about Rachel hearing her, she just wanted her house. She wanted to do the financial paperwork and get the hell out of Rachel's presence.

"So how much are we talking here?" Dom asked, casually, glancing through the home. He couldn't help but compare it to the old Toretto home. _Smells funky, the old place smelled like beer, cheap perfume, and Mia's coconut candles she always loved to burn._

"Well because of the location and size of this luxurious, beautiful place, it is between 95-100 thousand," Rachel answered, taking a seat on the back porch facing the ocean. Dom was so drawn to the ocean and the peaceful vibe it gave him that he almost didn't register the amount she said.

"What? Whoa, Let, wait a sec," Dom pulled Letty out of ear shot. "Can you afford a place like this? I mean it's nice, but I mean I'm sure we can find something cheaper.

"D, trust, I got this. What, you thought I crushed my piece of the heist money? No way bro. I never touched a dime of any of it. I was a millionaire by the time I left for New York. I cut open a hold in my Silvia trunk and kept it stashed in a duffel bag. Ryan never even knew I had it."

Dom thought for a second, "Did he sign-"

Letty laughed bitterly, cutting him off, "If something happens to him before the divorce, everything he has will go to me and the kids, yeah. He dies on the table, all of his assets will be forked over to me." Letty hated to think of the huge burden that would be placed on her shoulders if Ryan died. That meant his millionaire fortune will belong to her and the children.

Not to his parents.

Not to his estranged brother, Clarence, living in a homeless shelter in Queens.

Not even to his first love, Tonya, Stacy's mother.

His worth of fifty-something million dollars will go to his punching-bag Latino wife, mixed son, nearly genius daughter, and his possibly bipolar, now stepdaughter, Rylan. _How fucking ironic_, Letty thought.

Dom wasn't sure what to think of the news, but he didn't want Letty to handled the whole bill. If he was going to be living there with his newly extended family, he would be a man and help pay.

"You know, I still have money from the heists too. Plus, I made some cash on the race scene in Tokyo. I'll help you pay for it. What do you say?"

"No way, Dom. I have more than enough to pay for my own house," Letty responded, her attitude flaring up. She hated when Dom tried to take control over every situation.

"Uh, can we get started please?" I have another meeting in a few hours," Rachel called to them.

----------

Meanwhile, Rylan was going through another pointless day of high school. Surprisingly, it hadn't been as much of a drag as she thought. She managed to get through the first two blocks without any annoyances. Well, other than the normal ones.

"Hey Parker," Turbo greeted as he stepped out of a class that Rylan was walking by.

"Sup T?" Rylan replied, bumping knuckles with him. In the two weeks they were back on speaking terms, the two had grown close. They always hung out between classes and sat together during lunch. Neiko didn't like their close bond, but Rylan didn't care. She wasn't around to satisfy Neiko, though she thought about satisfying him every second of the day.

"Just trying to get focused. There's a big race this weekend for Neiko's team and he wants me to make sure the cars are in tip-top shape."

"Hm, wish I could come see you guys. He racing?"

"You know what's weird, he's not racing this weekend. Said he had better plans, I don't know. But you should ask your Mom, I mean, you said she was cool right?"

"Yeah, but ever since she and my dad got back together, they're like attached at the hip. If he says I can't go, she'll probably agree," _At least that's how it used to be,_ she thought. "Look, I'll ask her. I'll catch you later Turbo," Rylan said, walking to the adjacent building that was the Automotive shop class. Inside, the boys were hard at work. Rylan's eyes instantly averted to Neiko's corner of the room. When he looked up, she only gave him a smirk and continued on to her station. The Dodge Dart sat, stripped and bare, awaiting her arrival.

Ever since it sat in the shop, Rylan dedicated all of her time on it. Even when Neiko asked for company on his taxi, she declined in order to spend more time with her new baby, a 1961 black Dodge Dart. Without the help (of pestering) of Mr. Breckner assisting her, she was able to get the whole thing down to its bare frame and panels. She had become protective of that car, considering Mr. B brought it in as a welcoming/relaxing gift to her in her first week. Anyone caught near it received one hell of a bitching, including a freshman who wanted to just "check out the skirt's progress". Needless to say, he never sought need to check her progress again.

"Rylan, good to see you made it here. What's that, three days in a row?" Mr. Breckner teased as he rolled the tool cart over to the car. Rylan rolled her eyes, but couldn't keep the smile away. She always did prefer being surrounded by guys in a shop. It made her feel secure, made her feel like she could be herself. That's probably why she didn't have that many female friends.

"Yeah, well I figured I'd have to get here to help the old man find his way around this car," she retorted, pulling on her coveralls over her jeans. They were large enough, anyways.

"Alright, Smart Ass, get to work. Start by taking those panels over to Benton so he can buff out those dents and scratches," Rylan nodded and hopped right to her take. She loaded all the panels on a table and rolled them down the aisle, where Benton, the assigned automobile doctor. He was the only one greatly familiar with the buffer and the ability to smooth out dents and scratched paint.

"Got some work for ya, Bent," Rylan said, sliding the table towards him. He nodded and went straight to work.

Rylan's area was on intermission until the panels were done, so she decided to go help Neiko with his car. As she walked over, she was surprised at how amazing the taxi turned out to be. The former, yellow and black Crown Victoria was now charcoal black with a whole new body kit and upgraded engine. The batwing door complimented it well and the fact that he lowered it didn't surprise her, all of his Team's cars were nearly scraping the ground.

"Wow, guess you are pretty adequate around a wrench, huh?" she joked, leaning on the roof of the car. Neiko was crouched on the other side, wiping off the rims, which were from his own personal collection.

"That's not the only thing I can work," he replied with a wink. Rylan felt her cheeks get red as she tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Whatever. Need any help?" she offered with a smile.

"Actually, I'm all finished up. Just giving her another good wipe down."

Rylan nodded, deciding to watch him shine the car. As she watched, her eyes couldn't help but travel up his arms, which were perfectly sculpted with a light sheet of hair. Her eyes continued up to his biceps, which were large to her. She swallowed the lump in her throat as her eyes flicked to his face. His perfectly square jaw and peach fuzz that grew on his chin. His small, but full pink lips. And those eyes.

Those hazel eyes that made her melt every time she looked into them.

At that moment, Neiko looked up from the car, his eyes meeting with Rylan's. She nearly fainted as his eyes seemed to sparkle, along with his great smile.

"So why aren't you going to the races this weekend?" Rylan asked, trying to quickly speak about something that wouldn't make her heart pound out her chest.

"The boys can manage without me. Besides, I was hoping that maybe we could hang out," Neiko asked, cleaning his hands on the filthy rag.

Rylan was momentarily stunned. She didn't know what to think. She had never been on a real date before, and wasn't sure what Neiko was up too. But she knew she couldn't pass up on opportunity to spend time with the cutest boy she'd ever seen.

"And what exactly did you have in mind?"

"I dunno, you like pizza?"

_What a dumb question, everybody likes pizza_, Rylan thought to herself.

"Sure."

"Cool, I'll pick you up at eight Saturday night," Neiko gave her one last wink before strolling off to report the finishing of his taxi. Rylan couldn't stop her heart from doing flip-flops in her chest.

"What the hell was that?" she asked herself, clutching her stomach that seemed to tickle her from the inside out. It was butterflies, something she wasn't familiar with feeling. She shook it off and went over to watch Benton work.

* * *

"Well look, someone's in a good mood," Dom said, watching as Rylan bounded happily to the fridge. He was too busy with cooking, so Letty offered to pick the kids up from school. "That's good to see. I like it when you're not scowling," Dom said with a smile. It was rare that Rylan was so giddy, and it didn't want to sour her good mood.

"Yes I am," Rylan nodded, taking a chug of her bottled water.

"Hopefully it's from school work and not something else," Dom insinuated.

"Why, I have no idea what you mean," Rylan played stupid as she leaned against the counter.

"I think you do. It wouldn't be the arrogant prick Tashi, would it?"

"I'm not even gonna respond to that," Rylan shook her head. "Gotta go call Cece and tell her about my date."

"Wait, hold up," Dom reached his arm across the door frame, blocking her exit. "What date? Did you forget you're grounded?"

"Oh come on, Dom. I've been grounded for weeks. I think I've learned my lesson."

"Well, I don't think you have. That boy is trouble."

"And what, you were an angel? I don't think you were the church-going type either. I have to go do homework," Rylan pushed past the dumbfounded Dom.

Letty entered the room with a questioning look on her face.

"What's her problem? Never seen her that happy before," Letty smiled as she grabbed a bite of lasagna that Dom had been working on all day. He smacked her hand away from the simmering pot.

"She has a date. With Neiko," Dom said through clenched teeth.

"Awh, what's wrong with Dommie?" Letty teased, squeezing Dom's cheeks.

"Arletta, she's grounded. She isn't to leave the house. Don't contradict me on this."

"Oh, come on, D. She's seventeen and as far as I know, she's never had a date before. Hell, back in New York, she hated anything with a pulse."

"Well, she won't be starting under my roof," Dom's serious voice only made Letty feel even more humorous.

"Dom, you mess up her date, and you will be rooming in the basement," Letty threatened, laughing at the pained look on Dom's face.

**-X-**

"Hey, I meant show you this earlier," Rylan sat next o Letty on the sofa. She handed her the first grade card of her new school year.

" 'A' in shop class, no surprise," Letty smirked proudly. She was happy with the paper, that is, until she read the last grade. "How did you manage to get a 'D-' in Spanish? Rylan, you are Puerto Rican and Italian! This shit should be like second-nature to you," Letty ranted to her daughter. Rylan shut her eyes, forgetting completely about her worst grade. She hadn't really studied the notes much, figuring the class didn't seem that important to her.

"Well I figured I'm rarely gonna use it. Everybody I know speaks English," she replied, shrugging her shoulders. She didn't think there was any punishment that could be worst than what she was already going through with Dom. Then she remembered her date Saturday.

"Please tell me you aren't gonna make me stay home Saturday? Because that's some bull-"

"Shut up!" Letty yelled, slightly frustrated with her sometimes-simple-minded daughter. "I'm not gonna make you stay home. But you are right about something, everyone you know speaks English. But they also speak Spanish," Rylan was confused about where it was going. "Vince is half-Portuguese, and for some reason he speaks Spanish better than English. Leon and Jesse thought it would be cool to take lessons from V to listen to Dom and I during our more … intimate … moments. Anyways, I don't want to hear another peep out of you unless it's in Spanish. I don't want you talking to the team, unless it's in Spanish," Letty felt cruel for the punishment, but she had to put her foot down.

"Are you serious? You have got to be-"

Letty held her hand up, silencing her, "and if I'm told you are speaking English, that date of yours will be off," Letty smiled evilly to Rylan. "So I guess you better go to studying, huh?"

Frustrated, Rylan jumped off the sofa and stomped up the stairs.

"Un-fucking-believable," Letty mumbled, shaking her head.


	30. I'm back for good!

**YESS!!!!! I am back, finally! I know it has been about two months, but I am back and I am ready to kick some ass on this story. Now you might wanna go back and catch up on the last few chapters, I had to. **

**Anyways, thanks for sticking here!**

**P.S.: As you know, this chapter will have a lot of Spanish in it. Translations will be found at the end sentences. I'm sorry if it's inaccurate. **

**Chapter 30**

"Any news?" Mia asked as Letty walked back to the table.

The two and Denise were out having lunch together when Letty decided she'd call to check on Ryan's status. No matter how much she thought she was moving on, she knew she couldn't leave him behind. She couldn't abandon him in the hospital. She continued to call every few days, for the sake of the kids.

"Not much. Same condition. They said his vitals are improving quickly and he's breathing on his own. Just waiting on him to get up."

"Wow. That sucks," Mia condoled,"At least he can't hurt anyone now," she smiled. _Just like Mia, always trying to find the good in everything_. Letty couldn't help but smile.

"So its been about almost two weeks since I left New York. How long do you think it'll be before he realized I'm not coming back? Denise said, shuffling her Caesar salad into her mouth.

Letty hesitated, trying to think of a response that wouldn't give away the fact that Mia's ex-boyfriend was now Denise's current, abusive boyfriend. Letty was unsure how the team would respond to her locating the cop that changed their lives so many years ago.

"Who?" Mia asked curiously. She had liked Denise, but didn't know much about her, or why Letty would bring a stranger home.

"My boyfriend, Brian," Denise thought about the horrible thing she had endured, but realized she didn't have to be afraid anymore. "He's a cop. After meeting with her, Letty helped me run away with her," Denise smiled at her new friend.

"Well it was the least I could do," Letty replied, secretly praying Mia hadn't caught on. The last thing Letty wanted was a chance for Brian O'Connor to pop up again.

"So where does he think you are now?" Mia questioned.

"Some relief job in Haiti. But Brian's too curious a guy to believe that for much longer. For him to be a blonde, he isn't as dumb as he seems," Denise chuckled to herself. Letty slapped her hand to her face with a thud, hoping that Mia's wits weren't what they used to be. She looked at Mia and could see the wheels turning in her head. She knew she had to intervene.

"So what's this I hear about you and Brick going to dinner?" Letty knew how much Mia loved juicy gossip, so she was happy to notice Mia's attention diverted.

Mia gasped in delight, "I totally knew you guys were gonna hook up! From the minute you stepped in that door." Letty rolled her eyes. Mia always loved taking credit for people hooking up, even if she had nothing to do with it. If she thought it was meant to be, chances were it was.

"Surprisingly, he's a sweetheart. Now if I can get him away from those big-headed brutes Dom and Vince, maybe we'll see just how sweet he is," Denise smiled, wiggling her eyebrows.

* * *

"Hey Uncle V," Rylan greeted as she walked into the garage.

Ever since Leon went to the Bahamas, Dom had offered Rylan her job back in the garage. He didn't want to, but they needed the extra hands and he knew she was competent enough to work.

"Eh, muchacho," Vince smirked.

"Seriously? Tell me you guys aren't really doing that?" Rylan asked.

"Sorry girl, Letty's rules," Jesse said.

"Is everyone here scared of her?" Rylan yelled.

"Uh, yeah," the men said simultaneously. They chuckled as Rylan rolled her eyes.

She changed quickly and made her way over to an abandoned Ford Mustang. It looked visibly fine, so she figured it had to be under-the-hood work. She had the chart and realized she had to replace the spark plug coils. Sighing, Rylan made her way over to the spare-parts shelf.

"Heard you bombed Spanish class," a voice called from behind her.

"What, you of all people are talking to me?"

"I was, but I guess not now. Good luck with the Ford," Dom smiled as he walked away.

_**Twenty minutes later...**_

"Yo Dominic, I can't take much more of your sister!" Vince barked as he entered the garage.

Dom chuckled as he slid from underneath a Nissan. "¿Que pasa ahora, V?" _(What is it now, V?)_

"Me esta volviendo loco. No recuerdo su ser asi de perra o de control wando lo conci," Vince spilled out in Spanish. _(She's driving me crazy. I don't recall her being this bitchy or controlling when I met her.)_

"No, ella siempre fue asi. Eras demasiado amor, barracho para derse cuenta," Dom replied, casuing everyone to laugh. Rylan listened closely, hoping to pick up pieces of the conversation. _(No, she was always like that. You were just too love-drunk to realize it.)_

"¿Que paso?" Dom asked. _(What happened?)_

"Me fui a casa para comprobar en ella y asegurarse de que estaba bien. Luego se enloquenció porque ella decía que yo estaba ahogando. Cuando trató de salir, ella me asusté por la fianza. ¿Qué diablos es su problema, hermano?!" _(I went home to check on her and make sure she was okay. Then she flipped out because she claimed I was smothering her. When I tried to leave, she freaked that I was baling on her. What the hell is her issue, bro?!)_

_Bitchy Mia? That can't be right_, Rylan thought to herself.

"Chill out hombre," Dom laughed, "Mia's probably carrying around fifty or sixty pounds around because of you," Dom rationalized.

"Solo espera a tu en la sala de partos. Es lo mismo que usar una comisa que dice 'Welcome to Hell'," Jesse joked. (Just wait until your in the delivery room. You might as well wear a shirt that says 'Welcome to Hell'.)

"Hey I thought we had work to do?" Rylan said, fed up with not understanding the conversation. She was still under the hood and didn't notice Letty walking in.

"That's strike one. Three strikes and that date's off," Letty voice called from above her daughter. The guys snickered, but was cut off by Rylan venom-filled voice.

"Shut up!" she barked. "Perdón," she spat in harsh Spanish. _(Sorry.)_

**-X-**

(Rylan's POV)

"Rylan! I haven't talked to you in days! Where the hell have you been?" Cece ranted as soon as I answered my cell.

It was the first call I had answered from Cece in a few weeks. It was no doubt that I missed her, but as I became so obsessed with annoying my dad and liking Neiko, I began to forget about the one person that kept me semi-sane through life.

"Are you listening to me? Dammit girl, I've been worried sick about you!" Cece continued.

"Cecelia, relax!" I yelled, instantly quieting her, "I know I'm a shitty friend. Shit has been hectic here. Will you give me a break?"

Thankfully, this silenced Cece. Now I had time to breathe.

"What's going on Ry?" she asked in her calmest voice.

"Everything. There's not enough time in the world," I whispered, combing my hands through my hair.

"I've got nothing but time."

Sighing, I began the long story of the madness I had been enduring for the last month and a half. With her adding gasps and "ohmigods", it took me longer than it should have to tell the story.

"Leave it up to you to get wild after you leave me," I could see the smile on her face.

"Yeah well you see where that got me," I replied.

"So this Asian boy, he's all that?"

"Oh yeah," I smiled, "he's everything I hate. Cocky, sarcastic, chauvinistic, a bully. But for some reason, I'm more attracted to him than anybody I've ever met."

"Wow, I never thought I'd live to see the day. Rylan Tyler Parker is in love."

My heart immediately sped up. I couldn't be in love. I barely knew Neiko Tashi. I hadn't spent enough time with him to love him. But I knew I couldn't get him off my mind. And damn he was so cute.

"Yeah, whatever. So when are you gonna come visit? We just bought a new house right by the beach. I'm sure you'll like it."

"Let's see," she paused, "I have the next two weeks off work. I could tell the school we're taking family vacation. I can catch a plane this weekend. We are gonna tear that L.A scene up."

"I can hardly contain myself," Rylan said dryly, "Anyways. I can't believe Ryan is still in the hospital. But mom says the Docs say-"

Cece interrupted me, "What are you talking about Ry? Mr. Parker is out of the hospital. He got out last week. What … you didn't know?"

"Fuck, no! How do you know? I mean, why didn't you call me?"

"I tried! Someone doesn't answer their phone!"

I stood up and paced my room. I hadn't expected the news I just received. Why the hell hadn't we been notified? More importantly, why had the doctors been lying about Ryan's status? I had to get to the bottom of it.

"Hey, you there?"

"Yeah. Look, try to keep an eye on the house for me. If you see him going anywhere with bags, call me ASAP. I promise I'll answer."

I quickly hung up as I pondered what I was going to do. I had to tell my mother, that wasn't an option. But how would she react?

"Rylan! Time for dinner!"

(No POV)

"Mom, I really gotta talk to you," Rylan said as she followed Letty into the kitchen.

"Not now, Ry. I have to go with Dom to Mia's place. We're talking to Hector and his wife about taking over this house," Letty said, stepping out the back door, where Robbie and Koy were playing together. "Let's go, boys!" she yelled.

"Seriously, Ma, you need to hear this," Rylan tried to get her mother's attention. She desperately needed to tell her mother about Ryan getting out the hospital early.

"Are you trying to go for strike two?" Letty asked, irritated. Dom had been getting on her nerves all morning and she wasn't in the mood for Ryan's dramatics.

"Mom, it's fucking important! Ry-" Ryan began but was interrupted by Letty's hand in her face.

"Shut the hell up, Rylan! Please," Letty begged, popping two aspirin in her mouth. She followed the boys quickly out of the kitchen to the living room.

Just as Letty made it out the front door, Rylan struggled with the Spanish.

"Ryan está fuera del hospital!" Rylan forced out in awful Spanish. It was obvious Letty understood exactly what she said. She stopped dead in her tracks.

"What? No, I called his doctor yesterday. He's still there," Letty stuttered. Those were the last words she wanted or needed to hear.

"No, Ma, he's not. I talked to Cece last night. She said he's been out for a week now."

"Letty, let's go!" Dom barked from his car. He obviously hadn't heard the conversation going on.

"Wait!" Letty replied, emotion trickling from her mouth. Her heart rate increased as she let the words process though her mind.

"But the hospital-" she muttered.

"They've been lying, Mom. He's out," Rylan's voice was just as panicked as her mother's.

Letty stood frozen as the thoughts ran through her mind. She was no longer afraid of any man, but she knew Ryan was powerful and if he wanted something bad enough, he'd get it. One way or another. Letty just had to figure out how to handle it.

"Ok. Go inside and call-"

"Already handled. I have Cece watching the house. She's gonna call me the second he does something," Rylan could see that Letty's mood had changed drastically and she was clearly worried. No longer hesitating, Rylan ran to Letty, pulling her into a hug. "It's okay Mom, don't worry. I protected you guys once, I'll do it again in a heartbeat. Now that we're here, we have a lot of big, strong men to watch after us."

"I can take care of myself and my children better than any _strong_ man," Letty added, her independent nature surfacing.

"I know it. But you know Dom isn't gonna let anything happen to us right? He's too psycho for that," Rylan said, peeking over at Dominic, who was staring angrily ahead as he became impatient.

Letty laughed as she looked over at Dom. She hadn't realized tears were flowing down her face until she laughed at Dom. She understood was Rylan was saying, that Dom and the goons wouldn't let Ryan get close enough to hurt them. But Ryan was a snake in the grass and would do everything he could to get back at Letty and Rylan.

Even if it meant hurting Dom and the boys.

'Mr. Parker, I have everything set up. The plane is set to leave Friday afternoon and we should arrive in California around Sunday morning," Ryan's _assistant_ said as he entered Ryan's office.

Ryan sat in his lounge chair facing a large family portrait. They all seemed happy that day, but the fear in Arletta's eyes was imminent. He always did love creating that emotion for her. It made him feel powerful. Even more powerful than he already was.

"Good. Let's just see how my dear ol' wife fells about me coming to visit."

"Another thing sir, there is a cop outside to see you. Says it has to do with Mrs. Parker," he informed.

Curious to see this cop, Ryan grabbed his pain killers and glass of Bourbon and followed his assistant out to the circle driveway. The blonde good-looking cop was leaning against his cruiser, staring at the doorway.

"Good to see you're all right," the cop said with a genuine smile.

"Still breathing, got a little chest pain here and there. But I'm a lawyer, it's not over until I say it's over."

"That's a good theory. I have some interesting news that you might want to know."

"Well Mr..."

"O'Connor. Brian O'Connor."

"Well come on inside Officer O'Connor."


	31. My present to you all!

**Thanks for the reviews. Sorry for the hiatus. So I didn't realize how much free time I wouldn't have now that I was in the real world and actually in college and working. I hate being away from the story, but life hasn't been so easy. But the new year is almost here and I am positive that more updates will be frequent.**

**Happy Holidays!**

**-Kita**

**Chapter 31**

(Dom's POV)

I didn't hear the conversation between Rylan and her mother, but I could tell that Letty was clearly upset by something. My previous temper eased away quickly as she slid into the front seat. She didn't bother speaking, she only stared out the window with a distant look on her face.

"What was that-"

"Don't Dominic. Please, not right now."

I clinched my jaw and turned back to the road, pulling off the curb. I wasn't in the mood to argue with her about something most likely unimportant. Knowing Rylan, it was probably dramatic and over-exaggerated. I didn't have the energy for it at the moment. I was too busy being worried about this meeting with Hector and Raquel.

Hector was like a brother to me, well, maybe a close cousin. But I knew how wild he could get and I didn't want him turning the house into a frat-house. We would have to go over some strict stipulations if he was serious about taking over the house. As much as I didn't want to allow someone else to take it over, it was about time for us to let it go.

Even though I was worried, I knew the house would be in good hands. Plus, Hector and Raquel really needed a new place. The small shack they called a home was barely enough for Hector, Raquel, Hector Jr, and the one they had on the way. This neighborhood wasn't one to bring a child up in, much less two. Now I was no stranger to a bad neighborhood, but at least the neighbors didn't try to break in your house in broad daylight.

"Ese! What's up D," Hector greeted as we pulled up in front of his place.

"Hey. Beware of Letty, she's in one of her moods," I said quiet enough for only us to hear. I gave Raquel a hug, trying not to squeeze too hard. She wasn't that big, but because she was severely prone to miscarriages, I didn't want that shit on my conscience.

Hector Jr. stood in the doorway with a basketball in his hand, an unspoken signal that made Koy and Robbie chase him into the backyard.

"Mia, mamacita, you're gettin' so big!" Hector squealed like a middle-aged woman. What the hell was Raquel doing to him?

"Oh, don't remind me!" Mia smiled as Hector kissed her cheek. I looked over a Letty, who was stumbling along behind Mia. She was in a defensive, dare I say it – afraid – state. Her hands were shoved in the pocket of her jeans and her shoulders were raised. As she stood waiting for Raquel to hug her, she shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

Something wasn't right.

I made a mental note to question her.

"Dom, get in here!" I was in such a trance that I hadn't realized that everyone was already inside the house.

"All right, now let's talk renovations. Are you planning any?" Mia went straight to business as we all sat casually in the living area/poker table.

Letty was completely oblivious to the conversation going on, which surprised me considering this whole meeting was _her_ idea in the first place. She was staring off into the bottom of her tea, which she made no attempt to even sip. I didn't know what Rylan had told her, but I could guarantee it was causing her mood now.

"Yo Letty, you in there girl? I asked what you thought about the in-ground pool?" Hector asked, trying to involve Letty in the talk.

"Sounds great. Excuse me," she said abruptly, sitting her glass on the table and storming out of the house.

I gave a long, exhausted sigh and stood to follow her.

"Letty, what is up with you?" I asked as I followed Letty down the street. She ignored me and continued to rush down the street. "Letty!" I growled to her back.

"What Dominic?!" Letty yelled, not turning to face me. Her usually ferocious voice cracked, which perked up my attention.

I jogged to catch up to Letty, stopping in front of her. My heart broke as I seen the tears flowing freely down her cheeks. Her face was flushed and her bottom lip quivered quickly. I looked into her eyes and seen the cry for help that I hadn't since the day of the last truck heist.

"What is it, baby?" I asked, reaching for her.

"Don't! Do not touch me Dominic Toretto!" Letty snapped, showing me away.

I didn't understand her anger and why it was directed at me. What did I do?

"What the fuck, Let?!" I yelled, fed up with her mood swings.

"Just leave me the fuck along, okay? Jesus Dom!"

"You know what? Come back when you aren't fucking crazy!" I screamed, finally losing my cool. It was hard to help her when she didn't want it. But her eyes screamed otherwise. I turned and walked away before either of us said something we'd regret.

"Dom," I barely heard her call out to me. "He's coming."

I turned around, unsure if I had heard her correctly.

"He's coming after us, Dominic. He's had his doctor's on fucking payroll. He is out and he's on his way. I feel it," Letty wiped her nose as the fears she had tried to keep in the back of her mind for the past two hours had finally come to the surface.

"Letty, he can't do anything. We are all here to protect you and the kids. I'm not gonna let some little punk come-"

"He isn't some little punk Dom! He is one of the most powerful men in New York! He can ruin me! He can ruin us! All of this could be over in a second!" Letty yelled, obviously shocked at my naivety.

I grabbed her face in an attempt to calm her down.

"Let, I lost you once. I'm not gonna let that happen again. Ever. Now if he starts trouble-"

"Not 'if', Dom. When., she said with so much confidence that it made me uneasy.

"If he start's trouble, I'll be ready. You and the Team, the kids … you guys are my lfe. I'll die before I let someone wreck us."

Letty can usually see right through my bullshit. But I knew this time she understood that I was for real. I meant those word with everything I had.

* * *

(Rylan's POV)

I tried to put the conversation I had with Mom in the back of my mind for a while. I still had a few days before Cece was in town. She wouldn't be able to watch him all the way in California, therefore, I would have something to worry about then.

I decided to take a break from freaking out and called Turbo. We still had a project to complete.

"Hello?"

"Busy?"

"Oh what, you only call when Neiko isn't available?" I could hear the smile on his face, yet there was a twinge of something else. Jealousy, maybe?

"Shut up, idiot. If I wanted to talk to Neiko, wouldn't I have called him first?" You did, he was working.

"True. But nope, just working on some mods. What's up?"

"Well come over. We need to finish that Spanish project. Mom's been all over my ass about failing the midterm. You wouldn't believe the shit she has me doing," I cringed thinking about how much I was starting to hate Spanish class.

Turbo laughed, "I could only imagine. I'll be over there in ten minutes."

With that, we hung up. I decided to take a quick shower to clean the stress off me. Just as I undressed, I heard a car pull up to the house.

"That was the quickest ten minutes ever," I laughed as I tossed on one of my dad's shirts (I had no clue how it got in my room) and bounded down the stairs.

As I reached for the door knob, a feeling of anxiousness and concern ran through my veins. I shook it off and opened the door.

My heart skipped a beat as I noticed the familiar 350Z parked in the driveway. Reese stepped out swiftly, stumbling his way up the walkway. His eyes were glazed over and he was clearly intoxicated, which wouldn't make this meeting any more pleasant.

"Rylan, baby, you're home. I drove by last night, but I didn't see your bedroom light on, so I figured I'd stop by today."

I clinched my teeth as I took a step back into the house. Nobody was home but me. Stacy was studying with the new friends she had made at school. I hadn't seen Vince all day, so I figured he was out with Brick.

I could sure use him now.

"Are you fucking mental? If my dad catches you here, you're a fucking dead man," I spat as he got closer to the house. A glare beamed off something tucked in the front of his pants.

"You think I'm scared of Dominic Toretto?" he laughed menacingly, "Dominic Toretto is a fucking punk. No amount of muscle can stop one of these," he yanked the pistol from his pants.

I bolted upstairs as he made it up the front porch. I ran into my bedroom and grabbed my cell phone. I heard his footsteps slowly reaching the second floor. I ran in Dom's room and locked the door. I quickly dialed my dad's number, but he didn't pick up. I tried Mom's, but no answer. _What the fuck were they doing when I needed them now?!_ I called Vince and waited for him to answer. Just when I was about to hang up, his hurried voice answered.

"What is it Ry? I'm in the middle of a race!" he barked into the phone.

"Vince, it's Reese! He's here and he has a gun. Please come!" I had never felt so fucking scared in my life. I paid no attention to the tears falling down my face; I was too worried about the psycho outside the bedroom door.

"I'm on my way now. I'm only a few blocks away, babygirl."

I hung up and scrambled over to my dad's closet. I knew he had a gun. With the enemies I had heard that he had, there was bound to be a weapon somewhere here. I yanked boxes off the top shelf, all the while making sure to listen out for Reese.

"Come on baby, open up," Reese's sadistic voice called from behind the door.

After clearing the top shelf, I pulled back hangers and clothes to view the back of the closet. I spotted a barely-visible latch on the floor of the space. I yanked it open, noticing the shotgun lying across the floorboards. It almost seemed to shone like a gift from Heaven as the sunlight shone off the steel of the barrel.

I picked it up, along with the box of ammunition that sat next to it. My heart raced as Reese's voice became louder.

"I'm not playing this game anymore, little girl. Either you open up, or I'm kicking it down. You know damn well I can do it too," he said, referring to our first violent encounter.

I struggled to load the shells in the gun as Reese began banging loudly on the door. My hands shook feverishly as I fumbled with the shells. I jumped as the door knob was blown off the door. I finally got the last shell in the weapon. Just as Reese burst in the door, I cocked the gun back and held it up to his face.

"Whoa, baby, take it easy," Reese held his hands up as he stared down the barrel of the shotgun.

"I'm not your fucking baby!" I snapped, staring forward with the gun still pointed at Reese. He walked backward, trying to plead with me not to pull the trigger. I had never used a gun on someone before, but there's a first time for everything.

He kept looking behind him as I backed him to the top of the stairs.

"You have to be completely fucked in your brain to show your face around here."

"I'm sorry baby. I just wanted to see you," Reese pleaded, trying to keep his balance as he teetered on the top step.

"If you know what's best for you, you'll leave now," I advised, tightening my grip on the weapon.

As he turned to move, he lost his balance and tumbled down the stairs. I turned away, wincing as his body thumbed against the stairs. After a moment of silence, I looked down the stairs, noticing Vince and Turbo standing over Reese's crumbled body.

"Damn girl," Turbo said, looking from me to Reese.

A loud groan escaped from Reese, veins popping out of his neck and forehead.

"Oh, thank god," I breathed a sigh of relief after knowing he was alive. As much as I wanted him dead, falling down a flight of stairs wouldn't be satisfactory enough for me.

Vince handed his gun to Turbo and lifted Reese's broken body from the floor.

"You really are dumber than you look," Vince said, dragging Reese's limp body out of the house. He tossed him in the backseat of the 350Z and jumped in the front seat. "I'll be back, I'm gonna drop this moron off somewhere. Turbo, look after that girl. Leave her alone for two seconds and she manages to find trouble," Vince smirked, but his eyes seemed relieved that the incident was over.

"Sure thing, Boss," the kiss-ass Turbo replied.

I rolled my eyes and went back inside, walking straight to the kitchen. I needed something to calm my nerves. I may have looked over the situation, but I was still pretty shaken up. I grabbed a water from the fridge and sat at the table. Turbo sat across from me, still brandishing Vince shiny pistol.

"Put that thing away, will you?" I asked.

"Sorry," he walked away for a second, then came back. "Hey, you okay? You're shaking like crazy."

I looked at my hand, which trembled the water bottle it held.

"Yeah," I ran my hands through my hair, "I'm fine."

"Where's your parents?" he asked, which reminded how much I hated them right now.

"Well Dom is, once again, absent when I need him. He and Mom went to talk to this guy about buying the house. I called them over and over. Neither answered," I hadn't intended on my voice cracking at the end of the sentence. But to know that I could be dead right now and neither of them was there to help, seriously hurt my feelings.

"Hey, it's okay Ry. I'm sure they just got caught up in something," Turbo replied, trying to justify them ignoring me while I was in dire need. "I want to hug you, but I'm afraid you'll bite," he said with a bright smile. The tension eased as I smiled back.

"Well if you're gonna do it, get it over with. I'm freezing," I realized that I still hadn't had pants on, or that I haven't even had my shower.

Turbo smiled and stood to hug me. I wrapped my arms around his waist and bit on my lip to prevent the waterworks from starting. He rubbed my back, the thing my father was supposed to be doing right now.

We held on for a second too long and I barely realized how … comfortable it felt to be in Turbo's arms. I snapped out of that trance and gave him a hard pat on the back to let him know the hug was over.

"Listen, I never got my shower. Stay here and watch out in case he comes back," I stood and quickly left the room, hoping to end the weird moment.

* * *

(No POV)

"All right guys, that looks about it. All the rights are signed over to you. Once everything's moved out, you guys can jump right in there," Mia said as they all stood from the table.

"Look Hector, just promise me you won't completely destroy my childhood home?" Dom asked with a smile, but he was completely serious. If Hector turned the house into a party house, he would kill him.

"I promise, Dominic. I'm not crazy no more, holmes. I got a familia now. I'm smart," Hector insisted. Dom believed him.

"Yo Dom, I just checked my messages. We gotta get home now!" Letty yelled as she herded Koy and Robbie out of the house.

"What's wrong?" Dom asked.

"Reese," was all she had to say before Dom got moving.

Both cars raced through L.A. As they tried to make it home. Dom turned his phone, noticing the missed calls. All were from Rylan. _She needed me and I wasn't there_, he thought. He continued to panic all the way home. When they finally pulled up, he saw Vince and Turbo's cars parked outside the house, but no sign of Reese's Nissan. Dom busted in the house, only to find Rylan and Turbo sitting in the living room studying. Vince was in the kitchen at the table drinking a beer.

"Good thing you guys are home. Albeit an hour after I coulda been dead, nonetheless, you are home," Rylan said viciously, not looking up from her work.

"Where's Reese?" Dom asked, his question directed to Vince.

"Dropped him off downtown. Told the cops to keep the little fucker away from this house. Told them he was stalking my sister," Vince said with a smile. He wanted to lighten the mood, which he knew was about to get extremely tense.

"Ry, are you okay baby?" Letty asked, pulling Rylan close to her.

"Don't, Mom. I'm fine," Rylan pushed her away.

The shotgun leaning in the corner near the stairs caught Dom's eye. "You use that?" he asked his daughter.

"Didn't have a chance too," Rylan said, not bothering to look at him. She knew if she would, she would start crying. She had developed a weakness in her heart for Dominic. As much as she wanted to run to him and cry in his arms, she refused.

"Maybe you should go for the day Toby," Letty said as she directed the boys upstairs.

"No," Rylan grabbed his hand as he stood up, "we're studying."

"Turbo, we'll see you at the races Friday night," Dom said, his voice dismissing the boy.

"Turbo if you leave, you better do it knowing I'll never speak to you again," Rylan said, leaving him with an ultimatum.

"But I-" Turbo started, unsure of who to listen to.

"Come on T, we'll see you later," Dom opened the door, making the decision for him.

"Listen, _Dad_, he stays. He was there for me when I needed someone, you weren't. I called and called and you weren't there. I shouldn't have expected you to be there though. Throughout my whole life when I needed a real father, you weren't there," Rylan said as the tears flowed freely from her eyes.

"I'm gonna step out," Turbo said quickly, following Vince and Mia out the front door.

"What the fuck were you two doing that you couldn't answer? Mom, especially after I told you Ryan was out! I thought you'd be a little more concern!"

"Hey, don't do that, Kid. It wasn't her fault. Our phones were off because we were in a meeting about the house. Edwin kept calling about a party, so we turned them off. What did he do? Did he touch you?" Dom asked, the thought sparking a wild fire inside of him.

"Do you think he'd be alive? He trapped me in your bedroom with his gun. I found that in the closet and got myself out of the situation. I was this close to blowing his brains out, but he lost his balance and fell down the stairs."

Dom pulled Rylan in for a hug, happy that she was safe and sound. He was dumbfounded when she pushed him away.

"Don't, Dom! You keep disappointing me when I need you most. I'm hoping you really step it up when Ryan shows up, because you better believe he's coming with everything he has."


	32. Always and Forever

**Thanks for the reviews. I'm hoping I can get all of my readers I lost back. This will be the last story under this account name. For some reason, this account acts extremely stupid when it comes to letting me update and read my reviews. So I created a new account :: KayGee207 :: that will continue my stories. I'm not deleting my old account, so you will still be able to go back and read my old stories.**

**Thanks for sticking it out with me. Read and Review.**

**P.S: The italics are flashbacks.**

**-Kita**

**Chapter 32**

"Here are your bags, Mr. Parker," said the driver assigned to drive Ryan around Los Angeles.

"Thank you Luego," Ryan grabbed his rolling suitcase and waited for his new associate to gather his things.

They finally made it to California after a long, delayed flight. They came up with a plan to bust both Denise and Letty at their "running away" game. Ryan had power, and he knew no matter the size of Dominic Toretto, he could end his world if he stood in his way.

"Lets get lunch, then you go around and see what you can dig up. I'm gonna go back to the hotel and make some calls," Ryan adjusted his suit and put his $300 shades on as he slid and Brian slid in the Mercedes. "Then we'll go visit our girls."

* * *

"I can't believe she's still mad," Stacy said. "It's not like you guys meant to ignore her. She needs to not be such a drama queen," she said, sitting atop the kitchen counter as Letty cooked breakfast.

"Be nice. She's been a through a lot of dramatic shit lately. Plus, with your dad being out of the hospital, she's just stressed. We all are," Letty replied.

"Still. She shouldn't be such a bitch all the time," Stacy replied, shrugging.

"Thanks Stace," Rylan said as she entered the kitchen. She would've normally had a witty comeback, but she wasn't in the mood.

Today was the day: her big date with Neiko. She was a nervous wreck and had nothing to occupy her mind until then.

"Listen, Dom and I are gonna go by the new house today. The new furniture is coming in and we have to let the movers in. Leon and Lisa will be back later today so they will be helping out, along with Jesse, Vince, and Brick. I need you guys to start packing your things up and help your brothers," Letty explained as she stacked pancake on top of pancake.

"Don't forget Cece is coming in tomorrow," Rylan said, which seemed to make her a little happier. She was anxious to see her best friend. She just hoped nothing went horribly wrong while she was there.

"That's why you have to get your stuff over to the new place so you guys can stay there. There's more room there anyways."

"Morning ladies," Dom greeted as he and the boys entered the room. They all replied, except for Rylan, who sat there as if Dom hadn't said a word. Dom noticed this and shook his head. There was no winning with her and he knew it. He was better off leaving her alone until she cooled off.

"Rylan, Robbie says you taught him how to box. Will you teach me?" Koy asked with enthusiasm.

Rylan smiled. If nothing else, her two brothers brought a smile to her face. They had no cares in the world, except skateboarding and video games.

"Yeah, sure. Robbie go teach him some of your moves. I'm gonna grab a shower and I'll meet up with you two," the boys happily bounced off, breakfast being the last things in their minds.

"Koy has really taken a liking to you, Rylan. Thanks for being nice to him," Dom said with a smile. He was happy they clicked so quickly.

"Well he's my brother, of course I'm gonna be nice to him. You, my friend, are a different story," Rylan replied, placing her dishes in the sink and leaving the kitchen.

"See, I told you. A bitch for all the time," Stacy said, taking a bite off her omelet.

* * *

(Rylan's POV)

"Mom, how does this look?" I asked, doing a full 360 spin for her.

"Ay mami! You look hot, chica," my mom replied as she watched me. Straying away from my usual tomboy wardrobe, I was wearing a denim skirt (one I didn't even realize I still owned) and a tight black tank top. My hair was down in curls and flip flops topped off my outfit.

I felt confident as I slipped on my dog tags and reached for my green cargo jacket.

"Don't put that dingy thing on. Here," Letty walked out of the room.

"I like my jacket," I called after her.

She came back with a maroon leather jacket, "Put that on. It was Dom's, but he gave it to me a long time ago. It's kinda small now after a few washes so it should fit fine."

I put the jacket on, which fit perfectly. It smelled like vanilla, a scent I knew my mother sported. But there was a faint smell to it; burnt rubber and men's cologne ... Dom.

"Now do I have to have 'the talk' with you?" I could tell by the look in her eyes that she hoped not. She looked really uncomfortable. It almost made it giggle. Almost.

"Mom, I'm 17, not 12. I don't wanna talk about this now," I replied, shaking it off. I had no intentions on doing anything crazy with Neiko. Then again, I didn't have any intentions on getting drunk and grinding on him at a party either.

Before I could fret about my outfit anymore, the doorbell rang. My heart immediately sprang into action, beating faster than normal. Mom squealed and jumped off the bed. She was excited for me to finally go out and have fun with a boy. I was excited too, but I was too nervous to think about my happiness.

"Rylan, your date is here!" Stacy yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

I bounded down the stairs, surprised to see Neiko sitting next to Dom on the sofa. They both looked up at me. I could feel my cheeks redden as Neiko's eyes raked all over my body. Dom's eyes also did, but for a totally different reason. He looked horrified at what I was wearing, and it made me feel good. I smiled at my thought.

"Hey," Neiko said in a whisper. "You look great."

"Hi. Thanks," was all I could think to say. He looked handsome in his black button down shirt and spiked hair.

"Lemme talk to you for a second," Dom said, walking to the den. I rolled my eyes and followed him. I didn't want to start my night off bad with an argument with him. "I want you to have fun, but I'm not gonna lie and say I'm happy about this-" he started.

"Dom don't-" Letty started.

"_But_, I know you are. And I want you to enjoy yourself considering the shit you've been through these past few months. I don't trust that kid as far as I can throw him, but I can tell you really like him, so I'm gonna be cool about it."

I was surprised by his words. I thought for sure he was going to freak again. It eased my anger towards him quite a bit.

"Thanks. That means a lot," I replied.

"If anything happens, I promise my cell will be on. Call me and I'll be right there babe," the look in his eyes were apologetic and hopeful. A hope that I would forgive him for not being there. But I could tell it had a lot more to do with yesterday.

He was apologizing for being absent my whole life.

I could feel my throat getting tight as I thought about the past. Growing up with a psychically and emotionally abusive "father" was hell. Not only for me, but for my whole family. And I have a feeling that if Dom was in Ryan's place, my whole world would be completely different.

I looked up at the ceiling to prevent any tears from falling. I could feel it coming. Anytime I was in the presence of Dom, I wanted to cry. I hated how L.A. made me so fucking emotional.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. And if anything happens, I'll call," I said. " But c'mon, I'm a Toretto at heart, you think I'm gonna let some punk hurt me and get away with it?" I gave him a sly smile as he pulled me in for a hug. His laugh calmed my nerves and made my body shake along with his.

"You are something, Ry."

We walked out of the den with smiles, which seemed to surprise everyone in the living room.

"Be good to my girl," Dom warned with a smile, but he was dead serious and Neiko knew it.

"Of course," he replied.

**-X-**

Twenty minutes later, we pulled up to Neiko gargantuan home. I gave him a confused look.

"I thought we were going to dinner and a movie?"

"Well I called Mom and told her I had a date, so she insisted on calling William to come in for tonight and cook us up something. I had him pick up some movies. I was hoping we could just stay in tonight, if that's cool with you," he said with a small smile.

"Who's William?"

"Butler," he said, as if it was no big deal. _He has a fucking butler_, I thought to myself.

I could always see through someone's bullshit. My mom had told me it was a gift. So I knew Neiko was full of it, but I couldn't resist that smile. So like a fucking bimbo, I giggled and agreed. We parked and he grabbed my hand, leading me into the house.

"That you Neiko?" a voice called from down the hall. The house was so big, I could've sworn the voice echoed. A head peeked out of the far room, which I remembered was the kitchen. "Well hello, ma'am. You must be Rylan. Heard a lot about you," William said, reaching for my hand. I gave him a quirky eyebrow, but politely shook his hand.

"Cut it out," Neiko laughed, "we're hungry! Feed us please?"

"Absolutely," William smiled, leading us into the kitchen. There was two large saucers holding home-made pizza in the center of the table. I felt my cheeks redden as my stomach growled loudly. "You two better sit and eat before she croaks over from hunger."

Just as we sat and began eating, Turbo came bopping into the kitchen. He stopped on sight as we locked eyes. At that moment, I felt bad for being here with Neiko. Turbo and I had grown close yesterday and I could tell there was more there than friendship for him.

"Wasn't expecting to see you here," he said, reaching into the fridge. "How are you doing?"

I knew he was referring to the incident from yesterday. Actually, with the anticipation of my date, I had forgotten all about Reese. And I was hoping Neiko had no clue what had happened. Not exactly a topic I wanted to have with my future-husband. Especially on my first date. _Did I just say that?_

"Good, thanks," I smiled at him.

"Don't you have somewhere to be, Nerd?" Neiko asked, shoveling a slice of pizza into his mouth. I furrowed my brows at him.

"Hey, be nice," I said, turning my eyes to Turbo. He smiled. "You excited for tonight?" I asked.

"Hell yes. Finally finished with those mods and got the cars ready. They should be pretty banging-" Turbo started with happiness that I hadn't seen on anyone's face by just talking about cars.

"I thought this was my date? Get lost T," Neiko interrupted rudely, which really got under my skin.

"Whatever. See you later Ry," Turbo gave me one last smile as he walked out the kitchen. The insides of my stomach tickled, which made me fidget in my seat.

"You okay?" he asked.

_Was I okay? I wondered myself. What the hell was that about?_

"I'm fine," I lied. "Why are you so mean to him?"

"He's lame," Neiko said simply.

"But he's the big brother. Isn't he supposed to be the mean one?" I said with a laugh.

"Would you rather be on a date with him then?" Neiko seemed agitated, so I dropped the subject. "Can we just enjoy our night?"

I nodded, choosing not to fuel his anger with my own. I didn't want to ruin our night by pissing him off.

* * *

(No POV)

"Whatcha doing?" Dom asked as he entered the bedroom. Letty was sitting on the bed, looking through old pictures. There were ones of the Team from back in the day, back when they were just teens.

"Remember this?" Letty held up a picture as Dom sat next to her. "The first barbecue with Leon and Jesse." It was a photo of Jesse picking a piece of chicken first, resulting in him having to say grace for the first time in his life. The look on his face when Dom stopped him was priceless.

Dom laughed at the memory, "Yeah. Jesse was terrified. He stumbled through that whole thing."

Letty flipped through the next photo, which was of Dom and her. They were under the hood of a car, bickering about the issue with the vehicle. Mr. T took the picture, saying he "loved how compatible you two look scowling at each other".

"I was pissed when I realized you were right. God damn piston rings," Dom shook his head.

Letty smiled. The last picture was of Dom, Letty, and Mr. T. Anthony had Dominic in a headlock and had his other arm around Letty.

"Don't you think it's crazy how your dad always knew we'd end up together?" Letty asked, staring at the picture.

"Yeah. He used to always tell me 'Take care of Letty. One day she's going to be the only woman to put up with your shit'. I didn't know he'd be right," Dom laughed.

They sat in a comfortable silence as Letty sat thinking. All her life she had loved Dominic, but he hadn't given her the time of day. Letty spent most of her childhood at the Toretto's place, so she was a witness to Dom's revolving bedroom door. It disgusted her, but it didn't turn her feelings away. The fact that he had ignored her only made her want him more. She despised his arrogant attitude but admired his charm.

When Letty turned sixteen, her life turned around completely. She had finally grown a set of breasts that gave her a lot of male attention. Not to mention the "Female Etiquette" classes Mia was giving Letty started to pay off. She could flirt the pants (literally) off a guy. She received date offers left and right, but never got intimate with any of her dates. She wrote it off by saying that she wasn't "interested in fucking some random high school loser". She knew in her heart that she was saving herself for Dominic.

Letty was even becoming more popular at the races. The guys started including her in the lineups, with bets on her ending up in their bed if they beat her. Needless to say, she won every night. But finally, Letty had the race she had been waiting for: her and Dominic, one on one.

* * *

_It was Friday night, which could only mean one thing:_

_Race Night._

_All the posers, racers, and chasers came out to show off everything they had. Dominic Toretto and his friends were ruling in the race standings. They weren't an official team yet, but they grew up together and stuck with each other like glue. Dominic raced the most, and had become undefeated after a year of illegal street racing. Team Toretto couldn't be touched._

_Tonight, the atmosphere had been cranked up to a high volume than usual. Vince and Jesse had won both of their races and it was Letty's turn to go. She was tired of the regular losers challenging her to a meritless race. She wanted actual competition._

_Letty scoped out the scene, looking for someone who was for real. After scanning a sea of wannabes, her eyes landed on a guy she knew would give her a race. But not without a fight about it._

_"Letty, girl, you up next?" Hector asked as they prepared for the next battle._

_"Toretto..." Letty cooed to Dom's back. He was turned, flirting heavily with some Asian bimbo that Letty didn't take a liking to. The crowd silenced._

_"What is it, Gonzales? Don't you see I'm talking?" He replied rudely, smirking at his lady friend. The crowd oohed, eating up with cockiness._

_"You and me Dominic. One race, just you and I," Letty challenged._

_The crowd gasped, all heads turning to him. They hadn't expected her to challenge the reigning King of the Streets. Especially because she was part of his make-shift crew._

_Dom laughed,"Come on now, little girl. You know we don't race each other. Remember the 'no-stepping-on-each-others-toes rule we made? Plus, what makes you think that you're any better than these other punks?" the crowd laughed. No matter what Dominic said, this group of people fed off every word. It was like they didn't notice he just insulted the majority of them._

_"Because, you know me, D. You taught me to race after all," Letty revealed._

_"What the fuck Dom? Is she for real? You taught her to race?" Vince freaked. No one in their clique knew Dom taught Letty the ropes. He didn't want anyone to get pissed (and by anyone, he meant Vince). V was jealous because he had begged Dom to teach him what he knew, but Dom refused. God forbid he lose the crown he didn't even hold at the time._

_"I want you Dom," Letty's choice of words caught him off guard. She realized how he took it, but only shrugged. She wanted him to understand how she felt. If racing him showed him, so be it._

_It was then that Dom looked at Letty. He didn't just notice her, he really evaluated her. She was taller than what he remembered. Her legs were tan and tone. They got thicker as his eyes traveled up to her bare thighs. He looked at her slim wast and could see her toned stomach. Dominic felt his pants growing tighter as his eyes landed on her breasts. __**When did she get those?**__ he asked himself. He crossed his hands over his chest as he looked at her long, curly hair and imagined what it would feel like tangled up in his hands. He contemplated kissing her bright pink lips and shivered when her tongue absentmindedly ran across her bottom lip._

_Dom and Letty had a very strong love/hate relationship. She loved him, he hated her. She hung to him like glue, bickered with him over everything, and gave him grief for the company he kept. He couldn't stand her. She usually scared off any girl he tried to pursue, which didn't make her a good wing-woman. Dominic had always known Letty had feelings for him, but she was so young, he didn't pay any attention to her. But the signs were there: always wanting to sit next to him during dinner, knit-picking his different "Flavors of the Week", and constantly being stuck to him. But she wasn't always a pest to him. She calmed him down when he was pissed off, she comforted him when he was upset about missing his mother, she even took the heat from Mr. T when Dominic done something stupid. She was quick to take the blame for Dom, and he shitted on her every time._

_She had been there for him like no one else had. She had cared for him in a way different from the chasers, different from Mia. It made sense to Dominic now. Letty was in love with him. And he had ignored her love for years._

_He shook off his thoughts and gave her a smug smile, "Get in line, sweetheart."_

_"I want a race. No bullshit, D. You race all these posers out here who can't race for shit. You know what I can do," Letty said confidently. _

_"Give her the race D," Hector edged. He could tell what Letty felt for Dom, it was obvious. And he had been doing everything he could to push Dominic toward her._

_Dominic hesitated, still glaring at the young woman who stood in front of him. She wasn't a little pest anymore. She would be turning seventeen next week. She had grown right in front of him and he hadn't even noticed._

_"Okay. One race. What are our stipulations?" Dom asked, interested to see what she wanted._

_"I win, you get rid of the bimbos for two months. If I so much as hear you've been flirting with a girl, I will reveal something about you that you've been hiding for a while. Not only will the whole scene know, the whole high school," Letty gave Dom an evil look._

_Dom cringed, "You wouldn't dare."_

_"Wanna try me?" Letty quirked an eyebrow, glancing over at Vince._

_When Dominic was thirteen, Letty had caught him in a ... compromising act one night, and he knew she would never let him live it down. She caught him outside the neighbors bedroom window during their intimate time, engaging in something that he was very embarrassed about looking back on it now. What made it worse was the fact that it was Vince's parents. He hated that Letty had to be the one to catch him, because he knew she would hold it over his head forever._

_Vince looked at her curiously. Dom clenched his teeth, "What else?"_

_"You wash my car for a month," she smiled._

_"Whatever," Dom agreed._

_"Good. Let's go!" Hector yelled._

_"Hold up Hector," Dom stopped, "It's my turn."_

_Letty rolled her eyes, interested in what Dominic would want from her._

_"I want you on my team. You don't race unless I tell you to. You only race for me. And you let go of the lame guys you let take you out," Letty furrowed her eyebrows, trying to understand._

_"So basically, you want me out of the races unless you don't feel like racing, then I might have the chance? Fuck that Dominic," she said._

_"Those are my stipulations. Take it or leave it," Dom smirked._

_Letty rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. "Fine. Anything else, ass?"_

_"I want you tonight. You've given that chance to every other guy here, why not give it to someone who'll make it worth it?"_

_Letty's heart skipped a beat. She had dreamed of a chance to be one of those girls laying down with Dominic at night. Though she was repulsed at his arrogance, she bit her tongue._

_"God, I can't wait to hurt your ego," Letty smiled as she got in her car and peered off._

_"Dude, you're gonna beat her right?" Vince asked, surprised by how sure of herself Letty was._

_Dom shook his head at his idiotic friend and got in his car._

_The crowd followed Dom and Letty to the starting line. Dom looked over at Letty, who gave him the finger and rolled up her window. Dom laughed as he cranked up his music and turned on his NOS tanks. Letty fixed her harness and turned on her tanks that were located under her back seats. _

_Dominic knew his Mazda Rx-7 could beat Letty. He hadn't a worry in his mind._

_Letty knew Dom's car could beat her Nissan Silva. But he was a hot head and lost his temper easily. She had to use that to his advantage._

_Hector did the honor of starting the race. He raised his arms as the cars revved their engines. As soon as he dropped them, they flew off the line. Dominic took the early lead, starting off a car length in front of Letty. She remained calm as she shifted to catch up to him. She wasn't going to give him an easy race._

"_Come on girl, don't give it up so easy! At least make me work for it," Dom laughed into his rear-view mirror._

_Letty shifted gears and punched the gas. She needed to beat Dominic. As much as she loved the idea of being his for the night, she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing he beat her. She didn't want to hear him boast about it for weeks. She pushed her car hard and made it up to his front tires. She took a deep breath and hit the red button, sending her car into a frenzy. Her back was glued to the seat as everything outside became a blur. She looked in her rearview at the red Mazda, which was two car lengths behind her. She smiled confidently as the finish line came to her sight. She sat back, thinking she was smooth sailing for then. There was no way Dom could beat her now. Finally, now Dom was going to respect her. And she would be the Queen of the Streets. Or so she thought._

_Before Letty could think, a red line zipped past her car and crossed the line first, with her coming in a half-second later._

"_Fuck!" Letty banged her hand on the steering wheel as she slowed down. Tears welled up in her eyes as she watched Dom do a U-turn on his way back to the starting line. He gave her a smug smile as he passed her car._

"_Damn girl, that was close," Vince whispered in her ear as she got out of her car._

"_Not close enough," she replied, approaching Dom, who was surrounded by chasers. "Looks like you win."_

_Dom smiled, "Well you win too." He gave her a wink that made her want to puke and jump on him at the same time. "Party at the house!"_

* * *

"That was a good night," Dom said as he and Letty reminisced.

"You know, the fact that you didn't collect on the sex made me love you that much more," Letty said, grabbing Dom's hand. She held his large hand in her tiny ones.

"Well after that race, I had more respect for you," Dom admitted for the first time. Letty looked up at Dom and saw the love in his eyes. He adored her, and it showed by the way his dark eyes shined when he looked at her. He regretted the things he had done to her and was looking forward to making up for it. "I love you Arletta, more than I have ever loved anything. I never stopped loving you."

Letty felt her throat getting tight. She had indeed loved that man forever. She placed both of her hands on either side of his face and put her forehead to his.

"I love you Dominic Anthony Toretto. Always and forever," she kissed his lips and melted into his body. "Hey Dom?"

"Hm?" he hummed with his eyes closed.

"I think it's time to collect."


	33. The Joke's On You

**Thanks for the reviews. This was my favorite to write. Enjoy!Warning: Sex Scene!**

**Chapter 33**

"I think it's time to collect," Letty said in a sultry tone into Dom's ear. The breath on his skin made his body tense.

"You sure about this?" he asked, flipping her over and laying her beneath him. He saw the look in her eyes. A look of passion that he hadn't seen from anyone but her. Only she had looked at him with such love and tenderness, with genuine care for him. He had been stupid to take that for granted to in the past, to just abandon her after the heist. But he had been scared, scared that he wouldn't be able to provide for her the life she needed by being a wanted man.

"I haven't been more sure about anything in my life," she said, rubbing her hand over his stubbly-cheek.

Dominic took that as incentive to give her what they had both been craving, needing. He slid his hand underneath her back and lifted her tank over head. He admired her body up close, thinking how good the years had been to her. She didn't look like she was in her late 30's at all. To Dom, she still had the tight body of the young girl he fell in love with. He kissed her lips, then the nape of her neck; the spot Dom knew that made her ache in all the right spots. With suaveness, he managed to kiss underneath her neck and unsnap her bra at the same time. He kissed one breast, while kneading the other with his free hand. A soft moan escaped from Letty, which only added fuel to the fire burning inside of him. He stripped her jeans off, kissing around her belly button. Her nails dug into his back and scalp as he kissed and licked in between her thighs.

"You still got it, old man," she whispered with a small chuckle. Dom bit into her inner thigh, making her shut up.

He kissed his way back up to her, taking her bottom lip in between his teeth. She groaned, running her nails down his thick six-pack. Dom always loved the way it felt when she did that. She managed to reach down and unbutton his khakis. She used her feet to push down his pants and boxers and pushed him onto her. As he entered her, she bent her head back and scraped her nails down his back, squeezing his ass hard. It felt nice to make love and it not be forced. Many nights she had been forced into having sex with Ryan, whether she wanted to or not. It wasn't gentle and passionate, not like the way Dom made love to her.

Dom and Letty made love for the next few hours. They touched like they had just met and hadn't been together all their lives. It made Dominic feel like he was falling in love all over again.

Letty felt something wet on her chest and opened her eyes. She hadn't expected to see what she did; Dominic crying.

"What's wrong baby?" she asked, using her thumb to brush the tear away. His eyebrows met, his "Mastiff Wrinkle" (as Letty loved to call it) appearing.

"I'm sorry for what happened to you and Rylan. For everything that you've been through. I'm sorry. I should've been there," he said all in one breath.

Letty chuckled, "You pick now to talk about this?" Dom didn't smile. "Look, it's okay Dominic. You had no idea I was pregnant. You had no idea that everything would turn out the way it did, neither did I."

"But if I had never left..." Letty stopped him.

"Stop it D. You're here now and that's all that matters. Don't beat yourself up," she ran her hand over his head. It always soothed him back in the day.

"I'm sorry Let," Dom apologized again.

"Okay, apology accepted. Now, will you make love to me already?" she smiled, pulling his lips down onto hers.

* * *

"That was great. I'm stuffed," Rylan said as she pushed her plate away.

She and Neiko had a great dinner and she had found out a lot of information about him. That he was born in Tokyo and was abandoned by his parents when he was two years old. Turbo's family, the Portman's, adopted him a year later and he been in America ever since. Rylan was interested to learn more about her new man.

"Why don't we go upstairs and check out my room," Neiko said, standing and grabbing her hand, not giving her a chance to decline. Rylan was skeptical but took his hand anyway. He led her down a hallway, where pictures littered the walls. There were family portraits, baby pictures, and photos of Toby and Neiko together. Rylan smiled at a picture of the boys in their swimming trunks, and smiling as they dripped wet near a pool. Rylan recognized the mansion in the background and realized the pool was in the background.

Neiko led her up stairs that spiraled up to the second floor. They passed many rooms and finally came to a stop at the end of the hall. When Neiko opened the door, Rylan was surprised at his room. She was expecting it to look like a typical teenage boy's room. It looked more like a bachelor pad. The room was painted black with deep green accents. There was a large king size bed in the center of the room and two end tables on either side of the bed. There were large paintings of the Tokyo skyline on the far wall of his room, which really livened up the color. He had a green shag rug in front of his bed and his closet doors were green. It wasn't too much, it was just perfect.

"Take a seat," he said, pointing to his bed. Rylan gave him a suspicious look, but took a seat anyways. He stood at his closet and began to take his shirt off.

"What are you doing?" she asked him quickly, her heart beating. She hadn't had a date before, much less see a naked boy.

"...Getting rid of this shirt. It's hot. That okay?" he asked, slowly. She nodded nervously. She didn't know what Neiko was expecting, but she wasn't that kind of girl. She knew what could happen if she had sex with Neiko. She would fall in love with him, and he would end up fucking her over. Happens to everyone else, why should she be special?

Neiko slipped out of his button up, and she could see his ripped muscles through his beater. His arms were tan and his biceps were large. His pecks were big and she felt the need to grab them. Rylan calmed herself by looking at the Tokyo painting.

"You like that picture? You been looking at it more than me," Neiko joked, grabbing a shirt out of his closet.

"Sorry," Rylan said, shyly tucking hair behind her ear. She didn't realize how much of a pussy she had turned into when she was around him.

Neiko jumped in the bed, and patted the area next to him.

"Come up here," he coaxed with a smile. She hesitated, "Come on baby. I won't bite unless you ask." Normally, Rylan would puke or laugh at such a stupid line, but with Neiko, it was like everything he said was gold. She hesitated for a moment, but couldn't resist his smile.

She kicked off her flip flops and crawled up near him. She could smell his cologne and it made her drool. _When did you turn into such a priss? Get yourself together, girl! _she said to herself. Rylan calmed her nerves as she felt her normal, hateful self return.

"Nice pad," she said very nonchalant. She admired his taste. "What, did your mom pick this out for you?" she asked sarcastically.

"No," he paused, "the interior designer did."

Rylan rolled her eyes. She could feel Neiko's eyes burning into her face as she absently looked around the room. She did anything she could to keep from locking eyes with him. Neiko placed his fingers on her chin, turning her face to him. He smiled warmly at her, his hazel eyes scanning her face.

"What?" she replied, her face burning red hot.

He didn't reply, but pressed his lips onto hers. Rylan's breath caught in her throat. It wasn't her first kiss, but it was the best. _You have great lips_, she thought as he ran his tongue across her lips, which caused her legs to quiver. Her hands pinched into Neiko's thighs as he sucked her lip into his mouth.

"You wanna let up a little bit?" he said, pulling away just enough so that she could feel his breath on her wet lips. Rylan wished that she could control the painful, but pleasuring ache between her legs.

"Sorry," she whispered, completely caught in his trance. She didn't waste time getting back to kissing him. She didn't realize how much she'd enjoy a meaningful kiss.

One thing led to another and before Rylan knew it, she was lying underneath Neiko on his bed in a bra and panties. She thanked God that she remembered to put on matching undergarments. She was so caught up in the moment that she didn't think twice about what she was doing. She was better than this, and she knew it, but for one moment, she wanted to do something for herself. Something to make her feel good. And Neiko was an all-around good guy, she trusted him. He wouldn't take advantage of her if she wasn't ready though, would he?

He went to pull off his jeans, and winced.

"What's wrong?" Rylan asked.

"It seems that you clawed the shit out of me," he said, referring to her initial reaction to his kiss.

"I'm so sorry," she said, her face turning beet red. "That's fucking embarrassing."

"Don't sweat it," he smiled, "I'm gonna go clean this up though. It stings."

He gave her one last kiss before jumping out of bed and walking over to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. As Rylan lay there, contemplating what she was doing, she barely heard Neiko's cell phone buzzing. She looked over at the table at the black phone and wondered if she should answer it. It buzzed a few more times and she sighed and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

_A voicemail and a text message._

The text message was from Jack, a guy who rolled in Neiko's racing crew. Rylan decided to listen to the voicemail first.

_"Where you at bro? The hot bitches came out the wood-works! You're missing out!"_

She rolled her eyes at the message and read the text. _Boys will be boys_, she thought, It wasn't usually her style to snoop, but she thought that it might be important.

_"Don't forget to tape it, or you don't win the bet. We want to see just how the Toretto girls get down. In all her glory. Remember, you record you two fuckin', you get my car. Better be worth it, Tash."_

Rylan felt her body heating up, practically boiling with anger. She read the message over and over again, her eyes burning with tears. She couldn't understand what she had just read. How could she have been so stupid? Of course Neiko was using her. It was every man's wish to hurt Rylan in some way. She felt like an idiot for allowing Neiko to even get this close. He didn't really like her. It was all an act.

"From the fucking beginnin'," she whispered to herself, her voice cracking. She looked around his room closely. She tossed his phone back on the table, finding exactly what she was looking for. She walked over to the entertainment area, where the TV and stereo were located. She noticed a faint, but red light coming from behind a stack of DVDs. She found the video camera that Neiko had been hiding.

"He bet that he could lay me for a fucking car?!" she mumbled to herself as she fumbled to get the tape out of the player. She noticed a stack of cassettes and placed one inside the tape. "Well I'll show him just who he's fucking with."

"Honey, you okay?" Neiko called from the bathroom. "You're awful quiet."

Rylan gritted her teeth as she shoved the camera back on the shelf. "Just fine. Waiting on you."

"Just freshening up, dear," he laughed. "You know, I couldn't stand that you hated me right off the bat. I thought we'd be really good together, you know. I'm good lookin', you're okay," he laughed, "I'm kiddin'. You're good lookin'. It's funny, at the beginning, I thought you and my brother were gonna hook up. The loser has the biggest crush on you," Rylan perked up at what he was saying. "Told me how he wanted to bag you the first day he saw you. I told him he was way out of his league. There was no way, I was letting a hot chick like you, date my geek of a brother. I couldn't do it," Neiko rambled the whole way out of the bathroom. He stopped for a second, noticing Rylan holding a pair of handcuffs in her hand, a sexy smirk plastered on her face. He tilted his head to the side, "So I had to get you for myself."

"Well you have me," Rylan smiled, it being completely fake. She had nothing but pure anger and hatred in her heart right now. And she wanted to make him pay. "I must admit, I'm into some kinky things," she smiled, twirling the cuffs around her finger.

"Like what?" he asked, the most arrogant, smug smile on his face.

"Get naked, lay down, and I'll show you," Rylan ordered.

Rylan watched as Neiko stripped naked in front of her. She had to keep her composure as he stood, in all of his glory, bare ass naked right before her eyes. She looked him up and down. She was impressed at his six-pack and V-cut waist. Her eyes traveled lower as she licked her bottom lip. Once her eyes landed on the prize, she became disappointed. Neiko wasn't as "large" of a man as he played himself up to be. It actually grossed Rylan out to an extent that she had to turn away.

"Like what you see?" Neiko asked, placing his hands on his hips proudly.

"Mhm," she mumbled, trying to keep herself from gagging. "Why don't you lie back and enjoy yourself?" she coaxed, pushing Neiko with a little too much force on the bed.

He pushed himself up to the top and stared at her. She looked around the room, spotting a lime green bandana. She picked it up and walked over to the bed, attempting to crawl next to him without his jump touching any part of her.

"I had no idea you were into this," Neiko smiled as Rylan tied the rag around his eyes. "I actually thought you were a prude."

"Oh no," Rylan smirked, yanking the ends of the bandana hard, making sure it wouldn't come loose. She snapped the handcuffs on to his wrists, clasping the other ends to his bed posts. She traced her fingers down his chest, admiring it one last time.

Rylan quickly dressed, making sure to do it quietly. She walked over to his computer, where a large black sharpie sat enticing her. She grabbed it and pressed start on the camcorder. She eyed his cell phone and picked it up, starting the camera on it also.

"So this is what happens when you fuck with one of Toretto's girls," Rylan said into the camcorder.

"What?" Neiko asked, unaware of what was happening.

Rylan crawled on the bed, straddling his legs. From the rear, it looked like she was doing something Dominic wouldn't be proud of. But when she stepped back, she revealed what she had done. Neiko's chest read: "Man-Pleaser", with a large arrow pointing to his dick. She had drawn a large, disgusting-looking dick on his forehead, placing a soft kiss on his cheek afterward. She took a picture on his cell and moved out of the camera shot so that it was clear what she was done. It didn't make it better for him that he was aroused, either. Rylan quickly forwarded the picture to everyone in his contacts and tossed it over on the floor. She untied the bandana and pulled it away from his face.

"What was that?" he asked.

"What the fuck were you thinking? That you would use me to win a fucking car?" Rylan barked, her mood suddenly changing. She was still in shock that the boy that she had taken down her wall for had played her. He had sweet-talked his way into her life and only used her for something so material.

"What are you talking about?" he played stupid.

"Don't play dumb!" she barked, trying to keep her emotions in check. "You bet your fucking friend that you would lay me to win his fuckin' car!"

"Rylan, that was a joke," he smiled, a little frightened.

"You lyin' sack of shit!" Rylan tossed his shoe at him. "What about the fuckin' text and voicemail from Jack?! Don't forget to tape it man! You can't win the bet unless you have proof," Neiko's eyes grew wide. "What, you didn't intend on me to find out did you? How many other girls have you recorded, you fucking pervert?" Rylan paced, completely frazzled about the situation.

"Baby..." Neiko tried to calm her down.

"Don't! Don't call me that," Rylan spoke softly, trying to calm her heart rate. "You are a sorry excuse for a human being. You are manipulating, arrogant, and the biggest douche-bag that I have ever met. This will be the last time you will see me," Rylan grabbed the tape out of the recorder and walked to the door. "And by the way, Toby is more of a man that you will ever be. Yes, he's geeky and awkward, but at least he knows how to treat a girl. He's not out of my league. If anything, I'm the lucky one to be able to call him my friend. He has a better chance of sleeping with me than you ever will. But I'm sure that will get you some offers," she said, pointing to his chest.

Neiko looked down for the first time, completely oblivious to what she had done with the sharpie. "You bitch!" he yelled, yanking at the handcuffs. They didn't budge, which only made Rylan laugh.

"You're pathetic. Goodbye," she said, leaving the room.

On her way out of the house, she passed William in the hallway.

"Is everything okay, Ms. Parker? I heard some yelling-," William started, but was interrupted.

"Toretto, William. It's Toretto. Rylan Toretto. And everything's fine, now. He asked not to be bothered though. He's doing something private. I'd give him a few hours," Rylan gave the butler a pat on the back and left the house.

The cool breeze immediately calmed her frustration. When Rylan stormed out, she didn't notice Turbo leaning against the house. He cleared his throat to announce his presence. She jumped in fright.

"Jesus, T, you scared the shit out of me!" she held her chest. "What are you doing here?"

"I was around back. I heard you and Neiko," he replied, approaching her with his hands in his pockets.

Rylan frowned, "So what, now you're sneaking around trying to listen to us? You a perv, too?" she yelled at him.

"No!" he said quickly, "I went to the races and realized I forgot my camera. So I came back. When I pulled up, I heard yelling. So I listened to to make sure everything was okay," he replied nervously.

"Well obviously, they aren't, she combed her hands through her hair, "How long have you been there?"

He shrugged, "Long enough," he paused, "Need a ride?"

Rylan followed Turbo to his car. He opened the door like a gentleman and closed it after she slid in. On the drive home, neither spoke a word. Toby looked over at her, and noticed the tears flowing from her eyes. He had been seeing her cry a lot lately and he didn't like it at all. He grew angry at his nimrod brother for being so stupid. _How could he hurt such a beautiful girl?_ Toby thought. Sure, Rylan was tough and bitter, but she was funny and very loving. And Toby felt an extreme need to take care of her. She had grown on him in a way no other girl had. He wanted to protect her, but he knew there was no way an independent girl like her would let him get close enough to care for her. But for now, he would try to comfort her as much as she'd let him.

Toby placed his hand on her bare knee, giving her a squeeze of reassurance. He was expecting her to push him away, only she didn't. She placed her hand on top of his and kept it there the whole drive back to her house. When they pulled up, Toby ran around and opened the door for her, letting her out.

"Thanks. For everything," Rylan said, sniffling. Her eyes were red and puffy and her cheeks were wet. Turbo couldn't stop his hands from wiping away the tears. Rylan smiled as another tear fell. "You are something else, geek," she said, looking at him with a smile.

Turbo returned the gesture, giving her a wide smile. He kissed her on the cheek, "Call me tomorrow when you're ready to go to the airport."

"I will. Bye," she gave him one last smile before staggering up to the porch steps.

Before she could reach for the door, Jesse opened it for her.

"Hey Kid, how was your date?" he asked, chugging a beer.

"Shitty. Where's everyone?" she asked to the seemingly empty and quiet house.

"The boys are in bed. Denise is in her room on the phone with the brute. Stacy is at Mia's, and your parents..." Jesse shivered. "They are making up. Have been for hours."

"Ew," she said quickly, trying to rid her mind of the image. "Do me a favor J, make copies of this will ya?"

"What is it?" Jesse asked, looking over the tape.

"Incriminating evidence. Make copies, don't lose it," she ordered. "Night Jess."

She didn't stay and talk for long, she just wanted to be in her bed. She was emotionally exhausted and wanted sleep to come as quick as possible. When she made it to her room, she quickly changed into some pajamas and tossed her body down on her bed. She could feel the tears coming on again as she sat in silence. She tried not to cry, but knew it was inevitable. Rylan had fallen hard for Neiko her first day of school, and she knew it. But he had turned out to be just like every other guy she had known; manipulating.

"How'd it go?" a voice brought her out of her thoughts. It was Dom. He was shirtless in sweats leaning against the frame of her door.

"Not so good. Turns out that Neiko was a jerk. Just like every other guy," she replied, her voice cracking at her revelation.

Dom sighed, running his hand over his head. He knew it was a bad idea to let Neiko go out with his girl, but he didn't want to stand in her way of happiness. But he was right, for once.

"Need some company?" Dom asked. She nodded and whimpered. Dom walked into the room and crawled in the tiny bed next to her. It was previously Mia's room, so her small full-size bed barely fit Dom's wide frame and Rylan together. Dom laid on his back and Rylan crawled into his arms, squeezing his chest as she cried her eyes out. Dom blinked away the tears that formed in his eyes. He had a weakness for women crying. The fact that it was his little girl only made him angry. Dom kissed her head as he rubbed circles in her lower back. He did this when Letty was upset and knew it would soon put Rylan to sleep. He would stay there until the morning, if he had too. He just wanted his little girl to be safe.

Dominic laid there long after Rylan fell asleep, staring at the ceiling. She was a wild sleeper, like him, with one leg sprawled over his and the other hanging off the bed. Her mouth was open slightly, and she snored quietly. He hadn't been able to wipe the smile off his face since she passed out.

_You're doing good Dominic, you're getting this father-daughter thing down pact. You just have to be gentle, because she's fragile. She's been through a lot and you're supposed to be her Superman. You're doing good_, he thought to himself.

* * *

Dom was half awake when he heard the house in a raucous. He noticed that Rylan hadn't been laying with him anymore. He opened one eye at the woman yelling in his face.

"Dominic, get up!" she yelled. His vision went blurry, then his eye shut. He forced it open again. "D, get up! Mia's in labor!"

"What?" he stammered, still not fully awake.

"Get up, moron!" was the last thing he heard before he passed out again.


	34. Fatherhood

**So when I uploaded this chapter, it didn't have the grammar corrections or the complete chapter saved. So I deleted it and had to go over all the completions again. **

**Chapter 34**

Letty was having an amazing dream about being on a beach with fresh Corona and two hunky Samoan men fanning her when her cell phone ringing brought her out of her slumber.

"What is it, Stace?" Letty asked, knowing only Stacy called her at four in the morning. Usually, it was for random things, like sales at the mall, or to see what she was up to. This time, it was different.

"Mom, you and Dom need to meet us at the hospital, now! Aunt Mia's in labor!" she yelled in the phone.

"What?! She's not due for another month!" Letty yelled, jumping out of bed. She yanked on jeans and realized Dom had not been in bed.

"She woke me up saying her water broke. Meet us, Mom," Stacy's rushed voice made Letty even more uneasy.

"Where's Vince?" she asked as she panicked to get her boots on.

"Outside getting the bags in the trunk. He's freaking out Mom," Stacy replied.

"Look, call Uncle Leon and Brick and tell them to get to the hospital. We're on our way," Letty quickly hung up the phone and ran to find Dominic.

She ran to the basement, where she found Jesse sitting at his computer. She wasn't surprised that he wasn't asleep at four a.m. He always did have the strangest sleeping patterns. "Jess, Dom here?" Letty asked, frightening Jess. She gave him an apologetic look..

"Nope," he said simply, not curious as to why she was in _his_ room looking for Dom.

"Well I need you to get the boys and load them in your Jetta. Mia's in labor. Get to the hospital," she didn't wait for a reply. She bolted up the stairs and to Denise's room.

"Denise!" she yelled from the door.

"What Let? I'm trying to sleep," she rolled over away from her friend.

"Denise. We gotta get to the hospital. Mia's in labor," Denise shot up at the words.

"She's not due yet!" Dense yelled to Letty's back as she ran out of the room.

Arletta ran to the last place he could be; Rylan's room. She opened the door and saw Dominic laying in Rylan's bed. Rylan was stirring from her sleep in her father's arms. If she wasn't in such a frantic state, Letty would have cried at the beautiful sight she was watching.

"Mom, what's wrong?" she asked, wiping the sleep from her eyes. "Why are you screaming?"

"I need you to get up and get dressed. We have to go to the hospital," Letty was thankful that Rylan' didn't ask questions, but did as she was told. "Dominic! Get up," she yelled in the sleeping man's face. When he didn't budge, she tugged on his pants. He stirred slightly, but didn't wake. "Dom, get up! Mia's in labor!" Dom's eye opened and he muttered something as he fought to wake up. _Dom always was the hardest person to wake up_, she thought. "Get up, moron!" Finally, she gave him one good punch to the gut, which immediately woke him out of his slumber.

"Letty!" he groaned, clutching his stomach.

"Your sister is having those babies right now!" she screamed. Her heart raced with panic as she ran down the stairs. Running outside, she saw Rylan jumping in the BMW with Denise. Letty jumped in her Silva and sped off down the road. Dominic would have to drive alone.

The whole drive Letty panicked as she broke every traffic law there was. As if she didn't have enough stress, Mia giving birth to the twins prematurely wasn't on her list of things to look forward too. Letty desperately needed a vacation and thought how nice it would be to be on that beach right now. Instead she was doing ninety-five down the highway, weaving in and out of traffic. She looked for a split second in her rear-view and noticed the Charger speeding down the highway. _That man still has it_, she thought, as the red car caught up to speed with her. She respectively slowed and let Dominic pass her, knowing that he must be going through a range of emotions. Dominic was always sensitive when it came to Mia. And the thought of he being in any type of pain broke Dominic's heart.

Letty was so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't even realized that she had made it to the hospital. As she put her car into park, she heard several other cars pull up beside her. Grabbing her bag, she exited the car and looked around at the others surrounding her. Dominic was waiting anxiously at the doors, Denise and Rylan were pulling up, and Jesse and the boys were just getting out of the Jetta. Letty had taken notice to the Firebird, Skyline, and the Maxima that were already parked in lot.

"Lets go," Dom ordered to everyone, rushing into the building.

Letty jogged up to Dom, grabbing his hand with hers. She wanted to make sure he didn't do this alone. Letty felt a sense of nausea run over her as they approached the lobby. She hated hospitals.

"Hi," Dom greeted the clerk, "I'm looking for Mia Toretto. She was just brought in. She's having her babies early."

"I can't give you any information unless you're family," she replied quickly.

"We're all family," Dom said proudly, referring to the gang that surrounded him.

"Do you have an identification that would relate you to patient? Then I'll be able to tell you where she is," the clerk replied, unbeknownst that she was pissing Letty off.

"God damnit woman, where is she?!" Letty barked.

"Janice, this is her brother, Dominic," Denise spoke. "We're all family. Come on guys, I'll show you to the pregnancy ward," she ignored the clerk's attempts to stop her.

Denise led them up to the next floor, where the Pregnancy corridor was held. She scanned her hospital badge and opened the door, which gave them all entrance. She led them to a private waiting room, which was currently being occupied by Leon, Lisa, and Brick.

"Have you guys seen her?" Dom asked as he and Leon shook hands.

"No, we just got here. Fought up and down for the clerk to let us up," Lisa answered.

"Stay here and I'll go find out where she is," Denise said, giving Dom a reassuring hug. She could tell the big man was on edge.

Rylan watched as her mother sat on Dom's lap, her head on his shoulder. The loyalty she had for him after so long still amazed her. How she could put up with what he had done, and still be there for him through everything truly astounded her. Rylan had quickly forgotten about her horrible date and admired what her parents had. The way Dom held Letty around the waist, as if he never wanted to let go. The way she sat so comfortably in his arms as if she had never let that place a day in her life. Maybe she hadn't. What her parents had was true love, she knew that. It was undeniable. She wanted that one day. Dominic may have been an idiotic brute who abandoned her, but he sure as hell was making up for it. She desperately needed someone after her date, and he was there the way he was supposed to be. To console her, to hold her while she was upset. Things a real father was supposed to do. Needless to say, he earned that spot in her heart that grew every day for him.

She looked around the room at the other patrons. Robbie was in Jesse's arm sleeping. Jesse had become that big brother that she never had. She was comfortable with him. But to everyone else, he was still a young kid that they wanted to baby. She liked how he played up to it, allowing Leon and Vince to cater to his every need. But Jesse was still a man, an intelligent one at that.

Her eyes fell on Leon, who held Lisa's hand tightly. Rylan hadn't spent a lot of time with Leon, but she already loved him, like she did everyone else. Leon was funny and witty, just like her mother. He was the voice of reason for Rylan when she was upset, which seemed to be often.

Brick stood leaning against a wall, his eyes scanning over everything in the room. It was obvious he was worried but he tried to not let on. He was usually calm and endearing, too sweet for his own good. Rylan noticed his and Mia's closeness and knew this must be tugging on his nerves the way it was Dominic's. Brick looked at Mia like a big sister, always making sure she was okay and happy. Rylan could tell that it sometimes got under Dom's skin, but it didn't change Brick's behavior. Rylan took to Brick because of his size. She was intrigued by beefcakes, it was humorous to her. And to watch Brick try to do things he was incapable of because of his size only entertained her more. For example, sit in the small hospital chairs.

Rylan laid her head back on the wall and closed her eyes, trying to feel some type of peace. Ever since they arrived in L.A, everything had been so quick-paced. Her relationship with Dominic was up and down, with the exception of shop class, she hated high school, and the stress of Ryan being released was wearing on her. Not to mention Reese trying to kill her and her heart being broken by Neiko. _I could've stayed in New York for this shit_, she thought. She had been through enough in her seventeen years of living, and she just wanted to live a semi-normal life. She wanted things to be okay, and not have to worry about someone trying to hurt her family. But it seemed like everywhere she turned, someone was out to get her. Rylan just wanted to be in a place of serenity and peace, just for a small amount of time. She wanted to be able to look around her and see happiness, not sorrow. She thought that coming to California would give her that, but she was wrong. _Maybe I made a mistake coming here_, she said to herself.

Letty looked over at her daughter and saw the exhaustion on her was so still, Letty thought that she might have been sleeping. Her eyes were closed, but it was obvious that she had a lot on her mind. She nudged Dom and pointed to Rylan.

"She had a bad date," he whispered in her ear. "Neiko turned out to be a punk."

Letty sighed, feeling sorry that her baby had already had her heart broken. It was the first guy that Letty had seen Rylan interested in, and he had hurt her. She stood from Dom's lap and walked over to her daughter.

"Come on baby, let's go for a walk," she grabbed Rylan's hand. When Rylan opened her eyes, they were wet and red, like she wanted to cry but was keeping it bottled up.

Rylan stood and followed Letty out of the room. They followed signs that led them to the ground floor and outside for fresh air. They sat on a nearby bench and enjoyed the cool air that accompanied dark night. Letty grabbed Rylan's hand and held it in her own.

"You got a lot on your mind, don't you honey?" Letty asked, looking over at her mini-me. Rylan was every bit of Letty, and that was the only thing keeping Letty going everyday.

Rylan sighed heavily, "I just wish there was a button you could press to stop time. To make everything pause, at least for a second, so you can breathe and take in everything that's happening."

Letty nodded, "I know what you mean. A lot of shit is happening to us. This isn't how I planned your life, Ry. I wanted you to have the finer things, things I never had. I wanted you to enjoy your teenage years, the way you should have. To have lots of friends and sleepovers. To do things I never did. To take vacations and go on family trips. I wanted all of that for you since the day you were born. I'm sorry things got so fucked up," she said, shaking her head at how insane New York had been.

"It's not your fault Mom," Rylan paused, "You did everything you could for me and Robbie. It's not your fault that Ryan turned out to be the way he was. He was manipulative and controlling, things neither you nor I could help. You gave me life, great advice, and love. Those were the things I needed the most. You were my saving grace back then. If it wasn't for you, I don't know where I'd be. The anger I've had for so long was from him hurting you. I prayed every night that he would change, that he would be the father that he was supposed to be for us. But it just wasn't him. That wasn't your fault."

Letty looked at her daughter, noticing how mature she had been. She always was ahead of her time, even as a child. She was observant and curious, making sure not to let anything go unnoticed by her. She was bright, Letty knew that.

"I know I've never asked you this, but what do you want to do with your life? What do you want to be?" Letty asked, curious as to how Rylan would live the rest of her life.

Rylan thought for a second. She hadn't really had the time to stop and think of what she wanted to do. "I don't know, really." She looked at her mother, who was staring off into the dark sky. "I want to take care of you guys."

Letty smiled, her heart melting. "Honey, you can't take care of us forever. There has to be a time where you have to live for you. Do what you want to do, what makes you happy. We got plenty of people here who are dying to take care of us," Letty laughed.

"I know. I don't know," she thought for a moment, "maybe a mechanical engineer? I like fixing things. Who knows, maybe I can run the garage one day," she said with a laugh.

"Ha! Good luck," Letty said with a chuckle, "Dom would run that thing from the grave if he could. But if you want to own and run your own shop, I'll back you 100 percent."

Rylan looked at her mother and noticed the love and admiration she had in her eyes. Behind those big, pained brown eyes was the happy, witty, strong Letty that Rylan knew in the beginning. The one Rylan looked up to and wanted to be so much alike. The one who told her funny jokes and talked about cars. The one Rylan wanted to see again. But she knew it would take a long time of healing to help bring the real Letty back.

"Thanks Mom," Rylan smiled, for once in her life, feeling a sense of happiness and support.

As if on cue, a voice called from behind them.

"Guys, come on! She had the twins!" Jesse yelled from the doors.

* * *

(Dom)

I sat staring at the linoleum floors, my mind drifting far away. I wanted Mia to be okay, and knew she was tougher than what she would let on. But something could be seriously wrong if the twins are coming a month early. I don't know what I would do if something happened to my only sister, the only other Toretto alive. I think I would seriously fly off the radar.

Suddenly, the door to the room we were now all located in next door to Mia's room opened. It was a sweaty, exhausted-looking Vince. His eyes were red and puffy and his hair was unruly. I jumped up before he could speak.

"How is she man?" I asked, my eyes scanning his face quickly for any notion of her being hurt.

"Come see," was all he said as he turned and left the room before it triggered in my brain to follow him.

The whole crowd followed Vince to the room next door, where a fragile Mia laid alone. Her face was covered in

sweat and her wild, messy hair was sticking to her face. She was breathing slow and deeply, like she had just run around the world twice. Stacy was standing next to her with a bright smile on her face.

"Bella, are you alright?" I asked, referring to my nickname that I had always used for her. I brushed the hair off her face and kissed her forehead.

"Letty, you remember how it felt to give birth?" Mia ignored me, looking over at Letty.

"Shit, girl, I can't get that feeling off my mind. Didn't help that my first born was ten pounds," she laughed, nudging Rylan in the side. I looked at Rylan and smiled, trying to picture my ten pound, dark-haired baby being born.

"Well, imagine going through that, then it happening all over again three minutes later," Mia said, a bitter smile on her face. She was still cranky from the pain.

"Ouch babygirl, I bet that sucked," Leon cringed.

"What do you think, Einstein?" Jesse insulted him, causing everyone to laugh. It wasn't often that Jesse was the witty one. Usually his timing was off and the moment was awkward, which only made it funnier.

"How are the twins?" I asked, the thought of my nephews never leaving my mind. I was anxious to be a first-time uncle.

"Doc says they are fine. He says stress was probably the main reason why they wanted out of there so bad,"

Vince answered, his eyes filled with relief. It was obvious that the twins were making Vince a nervous wreck the past few weeks. He had been so afraid that he would turn out like his dad, a loud-mouth drunk who only cared about himself. But everyone who knew Vince knew that he cared too much for people in his family to turn out anything like that. He was going to be a great dad.

"Can we see them?!" Lisa squeaked from her spot next to Leon.

Vince nodded, splitting the group in half. One half would stay and keep Mia company, while the others went to see the twins. I followed Vince down the hall to the nursery, where a group of newborns lay in their beds. Vince led us over to two in the center of the room, with large name tags on the side.

"Adrian Jeremy Graciano. Six pounds, seven ounces," Vince announced, beaming at the tiny baby, who had dark hair sticking out of his blue beanie. Adrian was the spitting image of Vince and it was clear that he was going to be a charmer. V walked over to the next crib, with another baby lay asleep.

"And Gabriel Kaye Graciano. Seven pounds, seven ounces," Vince smiled for the first time. It was clear by the way Vince watched his little bundles that his life was forever changed. The twins were adorable, but they were hard to tell apart.

"How do you know who's who?" Koy asked, reading my mind.

Vince's smile widened, "That's the awesome part," as if on cue, both of the baby boys woke up simultaneously, shrieks of cries coming from them. I looked down at Adrian, who had those dark brown Toretto eyes. Mia's eyes.

"Look at Gabriel's eyes," Vince said to me, nodding to the infant below me. Gabriel was staring back up at me with the brightest of blue eyes. "Doc says it's extremely rare, but it does happen. Got us a set of fraternal twins," I couldn't' help but smile. The boys looked like they would be a couple of charmers. "Gabe has my mother's eyes. God, Dominic I can't express how much love I have for these guys already. They've been born for less than an hour and I'm already prepared to die for them," Vince spoke with deep love and passion for his new found fatherhood. V only had that much intensity for two things: Mia and Maxima. And now he had two new bundles of joy that would soon take the place of his beloved car.

I knew from experience just what fatherhood could do to your other priorities. After I made it to Tokyo I was solely focused on racing and making money. Then after my first night at a race, I fell for this gorgeous Japanese girl named Anastasia. She had a beautiful frame and no brain – just what I was looking for. Just someone to keep my bed warm at night. Three months later, she's pregnant and ready to get rid of it. She claimed that she was still young and not finished partying. So being the Toretto man that I was, I couldn't let her give up on my child. I told her that once the child was born, I'd take him and raise him on my own. Who knew I'd fall in love with fatherhood and forget all about my car.

At that moment, I looked at Koy, who was staring in awe at the tiny baby. I put my hand on his shoulder and kissed his head. I loved my little man.

"Come on, let's go get the others," Vince said, leading us back to the delivery room.

(No POV)

"Hey Kiddo, how'd your date go?" Mia asked Rylan, fighting to keep her eyes open. The painkillers she was given were kicking in, and she was getting drowsy.

Rylan sighed, "It was awful," she smiled. "Apparently, I was only good enough for a quick fuck so he could win a car."

"Watch your language please," Dom said from a chair in the corner of the room. He ran his hands down his face; he was stressed. And still extremely sleepy.

Rylan rolled her eyes with a smile and continued, "He said he wanted to see how 'Toretto girls get down'."

Dom clenched his fist, standing and pacing. He hated when someone tried to take advantage of someone he loved: especially because of his name. He was proud to be a Toretto and didn't want anyone in his family hassled because of his past lifestyle.

"Hey, it's okay," she assured him. "I showed him just how the Toretto girls get down." She pulled out her cell phone and flipped to the picture, which happened to send to her cell phone and everyone else in his contacts. She passed her phone around, letting everyone see her handiwork.

"Damn girl, remind me to never mess with you," Jesse said with a laugh. Each person laughed and patted her on the back.

"That's my girl," Letty said, proud that her daughter wasn't taking shit from anyone.

Leon tossed his arm around Rylan's shoulder, "Now how did you manage that?" He wondered how a girl could get a grown man in such a dominating position. And long enough for her to vandalize his body.

"I guess you're not the only one who can charm the pants off someone," she smirked at Dom, who smiled smugly, grabbing her and pulling her in for a hug. She tried to fight him off, but his strong arms put her in a headlock and gave her a nookie.

Mia and Letty stood by, watching the show.

"Good to see they're finally getting along," Mia noted, grinning as Rylan finally got out of Dom's hold, but ran back in for more battle.

Letty laughed, watching as the two most important people in her life finally showed love to each other. "I know. I guess they're tired of fighting each other."


	35. Moving Out

**Sorry for the wait and thanks for the reviews.**

**Chapter 35**

Rylan was in her bed sleeping comfortably when her phone began ringing. She ignored it the first two times, hoping whoever it was would get a hint and hang up. The family (excluding Vince and Mia) left the hospital around 6:30 that morning, deciding to come back at a reasonable time. She was just getting a comfortable position, when the annoyance she called her cell phone began..

"Whaaat?" she drew out, upset that she was awake. _Why can't I even get up when I want too?_

"Um, you forgetting about someone?" a voice said on the other end.

Rylan thought for a moment, then looked over at the clock. _12:31 P.M._

_Shit, Cece_.

"I'm so sorry Ce! My aunt Mia went into labor this morning and had her babies," Rylan jumped out of bed and stripped off her clothes. "I didn't get home until like seven this morning. I have to take a quick shower, then I'll be there."

"Just don't leave me here all day," Cece said, eagerness in her voice.

The two hung up and Rylan ran to shower quickly. On her way to the bathroom, she bumped into a cheery Stacy.

"Good morning Rylan Tyler," Stacy greeted happily.

Rylan quirked an eyebrow at her sister. "Why you so happy?"

Stacy shrugged, "For the first time in a long time, no one in hurting in my family. I'm just happy that everyone's okay."

Rylan smiled. She, for once, agreed with Stacy. It sure did make a good day when everyone you love is happy. A small voice in the back of her mind told her that the happiness would be short-lived. Ryan would make sure of that.

"What are you doing today?" Rylan asked. Stacy thought for a moment. She shrugged, unsure of her plans. "Come hang with me today. I'm gonna pick up Cece from the airport and we're gonna hang out at the beach," Rylan and Stacy didn't spend a lot of friendly time together. Hell, they rarely spent _any_ time together. She figured since they were off to a new start in L.A., why not try to be sisters rather than arch enemies?

Stacy wore a happy smile, "Sweet," then she paused, "Cece hates me. I was always a bitch to her. And you. I'm sorry Rylan, for everything. I shouldn't-" Rylan stopped her heartfelt apology.

"Fresh start, fresh slate," Rylan held her hand out to her big sister. Stacy smiled, shaking her former enemy's hand. She unsuspectingly pulled Rylan in for a hug, smashing their bodies together. "Okay Stace, I can't breathe," Rylan gasped, trying to get released from Stacy's grip. "I'll talk to Cece. Tell her things are different now."

"Thanks," Stacy smiled, walking back to her room.

_**Twenty Minutes Later…**_

Rylan was finally showered, dressed, and ready to leave for the airport.

"Stacy, let's go!" she yelled from the bottom of the stairs. Turbo was outside in his car and she didn't want to make him wait long.

"Where are you going, Kid? We gotta get the last of this stuff out here today," Letty asked, coming out of the kitchen. Once Dom was done at the shop, they were going to spend the rest of the day moving the last of their items out and into the new beach-side house. Today was supposed to be the last day in the Toretto family heirloom. They celebrated the week before with a blowout party and would party again once the new house was up and running.

"Me and Stacy are going to get Cece. Then we'll come back and help move stuff," Rylan replied. Letty looked from Rylan to Stacy and realized that they were acting civilized for me.

"You two friends?" Letty asked sarcastically.

"No," Rylan answered quickly, "We're sisters."

Letty nodded, feeling proud that her girls were finally getting over their sibling rivalry. Letty was thankful. It was hard getting them two stopped once they got started in on each other. Just as they were walking out, Letty remembered something and called out to Rylan.

"Don't forget we're supposed to get that cast off tomorrow. We can't keep putting it off," Letty reminded her. The cast that Rylan had been sporting for an extra month had become a part of everyday life, rather than a temporary accessory. She had been so focused on everything else going on that she hadn't realized it was still on her wrist. She had grown accustomed to showering with her hand out the tub, boxing her little brothers, and helping her parents with the new house - all only with one hand. She was happy to hear the news.

"Thank god," Rylan replied, "It was starting to smell."

Letty laughed as they walked of the house. She grabbed a box and began loading all family portraits inside. After getting the smaller ones down, she stood facing the final one, which was the largest -- a family photo of Mia, Dom, Letty, Vince, and Mr. Toretto. Letty pulled it down and held it in her hands, her eyes running over all of the faces. They had taken the photo the day of Mia's high school graduation at a barbecue bash Mr. T threw her. He had a dazzling smile on his face as he had his arm around Mia's shoulder. She was holding her diploma up in the air with on hand and her other around Tony's waist. Letty grinned at Dom, who was placing a kiss on Mia's cheek. Vince and Letty stood by with happy smiles; they were all finally out of high school and ready to take on real world,.

Letty couldn't keep her eyes off Mr. Toretto. He had taken over the role of "father" after Letty's parents died in a tragic car accident. Tony insisted Letty move in their home the day of her parent's funeral. He made sure she stayed in school and gave her all the great advice he possibly could. Letty remembered how disappointed in her he had been the day she told him she wanted to drop out. He fought her tooth and nail on it, but when her mind was set, he knew she wouldn't budge.

Thinking back, she wished she had listened to him and stayed in school. She had plenty of technical colleges in mind, but decided upon dropping out of high school as the best decision for her. She cited not wanting to leave L.A and money as her reasons for not going to college. Mr. Toretto offered and was willing to take out a mortgage on the house just so she could do something with her life. And she had let him down,.

"I miss the hell out of you, Mr. T.," Letty said out loud with a tearful smile.

The day of his funeral was, to Letty, more painful for her than her birth parents'. They weren't horrible people, but she definitely could've had better people looking after her as a child. They weren't the most present parents, spending most of their time at work or with each other. It didn't help that she was an only child. She didn't have a lot of family support with anything that she wanted with her life. That all stopped the day Mr. Toretto took her in.

The day of his funeral, Letty locked herself in her room for days, weeping for her pseudo father. She hadn't known pain like that before and it wore on her heart tremendously.

"I wish you were here to see everyone," she spoke to him, as if he was a mere phone call away. "They've all grown up so much. I know you didn't get to meet them, but you've watched Jesse and Leon grow up with us. What do you think? Have they come a long way or what?" Letty laughed, thinking of her big and little "brothers". "Leon is married now. It's still a crazy reality." Letty ignored the tears falling from her eyes and continued, "What about V? He's a dad now! Two beautiful twin boys. Now, I bet you never saw that coming. Hell, you probably didn't see him and Mia happening either, huh?" she waited for a reply that would never come, "Yeah, me either. They're good for each other though. Did you see him fall at the wedding? My god, that was embarrassing," she laughed as she wiped her watery cheeks. "You have grandchildren now, just what you wanted. Koy is a beautiful, smart little boy. Too bad he only got his looks from his dad," Letty joked. "Rylan is really trying to get herself together. I know if you were here, you'd give her the same great advice you gave me. You'd be a lot of help to her. Try helping her get back on track, will ya?"

Letty felt her tighten as the tears came even harder. She didn't realize how much she really missed Tony Toretto until she stopped and talked to him up in Heaven.

"As for me and Dominic? Tony, honestly, I don't know what I'm doing with him. I love him, more than life itself. You know that better than anyone. You always have. I'm hoping this move will help us forgive and forget."

She looked around the nearly empty house, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. This was her home, Tony's home. He had done everything for the kids to make this a place where they wanted to be forever. And he did just that. He was almost buying new entertainment means for them. New TVs, DVD players, gaming consoles, the works. He loved having them there as much as they loved being there.

"I'm sorry I talked Dom into getting rid of this place," she blinked, more tears falling down her cheeks. "This was the greatest place to live for someone who needed a home, a family. I guess that was why so many people lived here. I think it was your spirit, Mr. T. Alive or gone, you make this house a home. You continued to shine down your love and support, even from Heaven. Even after decades of being gone. It's gonna be hard waking up in a new house, tonight. It was difficult in New York, too. But I promise you I won't let anything drastic happen to this place. I just think it's time for everyone to move on. In order for the past to the past, we need a change of scenery."

A small breeze swept through the living room, blowing her ponytail in the air, which gave Letty chills. _No doors or windows are open … the AC isn't on … where did that come from?_ She thought.

"That was you, wasn't it?" she looked up at the ceiling, looking at Mr. T. She could see his face anytime she looked in the air. As if he was always there, watching her. She could see him now, smiling down on her with big brown eyes and that cigar. He always had that cigar. "I'll keep your boy out of trouble, too."

Letty smiled at the frame, giving Tony's face one last kiss before she put the picture in the box and continued packing.

* * *

(Rylan)

I rode shotgun in Turbo's Jeep Wrangler, while Stacy sat in the back, enjoying the February weather. I was in a good mood for once. Maybe it had to do with getting to see Cece again. I truly missed my best friend. I'm sure if she was here before, a lot of shit would've went more smoothly. But I had two weeks with her, so hopefully we'd be able to stay out of trouble for a while.

"You in there, girl?" Turbo asked, waving a hand in front of my face. I snapped out of my trance and turned to him, surprised that he didn't have on his regular hat. His long hair was being attacked by the wind and his bright smile made him look adorable.

"Yep," I smiled at him. "Where's the CR-X?" I didn't even know he owned a Jeep. But it seemed to fit his personality.

"I only drive that on race night. This is my everyday ride," he shrugged.

"That's funny," I started, "My folks are wealthy and I don't even have _one_ car, let alone two," I said bitterly._ I really needed a ride._

"I'll have to talk to Dominic about that," he said with a smile. I rolled my eyes and turned back out the window.

As we made it to the airport, my heart began to beat quickly, Toby parked and we all jumped out, making our way to the lobby. I stood on my toes, looking through the crowd of people for my friend. She wasn't hard to miss, standing 5'9" with tattoos and curves to die for. Finally, I noticed a girl with her back to me, conversing with a tall, dark-skinned man. Her arms were covered in tattoos and her red hair was in loose curls down to the middle of her back. That couldn't be Cecelia Swanson. The Cece I knew had dark brown hair, not fiery red hair.

"Cecelia!" I screamed from about twenty yards away, not caring who didn't like it. _Probably airport security_, I thought to myself. The girl turned around, her big green eyes smiling as she spotted me. We zipped through the crowd of people, trying to get to each other. Once we met, we practically tackled each other, almost taking out an old lady with a cane. "I missed you so much," I whispered in her ear, finally feeling secure now that she was here.

"I missed you too Ry," she replied, her hold on my neck not loosening. I wanted to tell her to let go, that she was hurting me, but I wouldn't dare ruin her moment. I could tell by the wetness of my shirt that she was now crying. _Leave it up to Cece to be emotional_, I thought.

When we finally pulled apart, I noticed her hair was a lot different that what I remembered. It used to be dark and messy, always up in a pony. But now, it was a lot longer and deep red, with pin-straight bangs. It looked good on her.

"What did you do with your hair?!" I asked, still shocked by the change.

She laughed, running her hands through her hair. "I figured if I was coming to L.A., then I might as well do something crazy," she took a step back and looked me up and down. "What about you, chica? You look good girl!" I looked down at my outfit, nodding in agreement. I had on tight jeans that rode low on my hips and a flowing tank top, I wore black flip flops and my hair was in curls down to my lower back.

"Whatever," I waved it off. "Come on, I want you to meet someone,"

I dragged Cece back through the crowd to the front of the lobby near the doors, where Toby and Stacy stood, their eyes searching the crowds. I was sure they were wondering where I had bolted off too. As we approached them, Stacy's eyes were nearly bulging out of her head, while Turbo gave Cece a one-over, which seemed to annoy me.

"Hi Stacy," Cece said, animosity in her voice. They damn sure didn't like each other back in New York, so I had no idea how I would make it work here. By the way her jaw was clenched and she avoided eye contact, it was clear that Cece wasn't happy to see my sister.

"Hey Cece," Stacy replied with a polite smile. "Your hair looks good. I really like the color."

"Cecelia. My name's Cecelia. Only my friend can call me Cece," Ce replied harshly. She wasn't sure if Stacy was being sarcastic about her hair, or if she was teasing.

I put my hand on Cece's arm, trying to get her to cool down. "Hey, knock it off. Stacy's cool now. She's not evil anymore," I said with a smile for my sister. "She's okay Cece." It was obvious the wheels were turning in her head. She didn't know whether to believe me or not, so she settled for a curt nod for Stace. It would have to do for now.

Turbo cleared his throat, surely uncomfortable by the situation. "Cece, this is Turbo. T, this is my best friend, Cece," I introduced. Turbo, being the cheesy geek he was, took her hand and kissed her softly.

"Nice to meet you," he gave her a bright smile, causing me to clench my teeth. _Why was he flirting with her?_

_And why did I care?_

"Let's get going, we gotta go help Mom. Then I'll show you the new house," I said, storming off to the car.

**-X-**

"Ma, we're home!" I yelled as we walked into the house. There were a few boxes stacked near the front door and loud voices coming from the kitchen. Pushing the door open, I saw my mom on her toes, reaching in the high cabinets above. Dom was leaning against the counter-top with a beer in his hand, watching in amusement. Leon and Jesse were walking threw the back door, each carrying a box and arguing about something.

"Here Ms. Gonzales, lemme help you," Turbo said, walking over to my mom.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Dom muttered, putting the bottle to his mouth. Just as Toby reached up for the cabinet, my mother grabbed his hand, squeezing it hard and pushing him away from her.

"Don't! I got it," she snapped, jumping and grabbing the First-Aid kit out of the shelf.

I smiled at Turbo, who just rubbed his sore hand. "Too much pride," I whispered to him, hoping he didn't take it personally. He nodded with a smile.

"Still a chip off the ol' block, Ms. Parker?" Cece said from next to me. Mom turned around finally, noticing my old friend from back home. My mom always did love Cece. She treated her like another child, more so than just my friend.

"Babygirl!" Mom yelled, running over to Cece and pulling her into a tight hug. I smiled, watching them interact. "It's good to see you, Cecelia. Your hair looks great, too."

"Thanks," Cece smiled, pushing some loose strands behind her ear. It was apparent that she was unsure about it.

"Who's your friend?" Dom asked from the counter, downing the rest of his beer.

"Cece, this is Leon. You already know Jesse," I introduced them first, ignoring my dad. He seemed like he was in one of his annoying moods. Cece shook Leon hand firmly, turning to Jesse and bumping knuckles with him. "The knuckle is Dominic, my dad," I said, looking in his eyes. They smiled at me, but his face was expressionless.

"Nice to meet you, Dominic. You're huge," she said, very Cece-like. Everyone laughed, including my dad.

"Same here, Cece. Your hair is bright," he replied, giving her a lopsided smile.

"Dad!" I yelled at him.

"What? I'm just stating the obvious, just as she did," he smirked at her. I knew by her smile that Cece didn't take offense to Dom. She wasn't one to get offended, she got even.

"Wow Ry, you didn't tell me your dad was Lou Ferrigno. I didn't know you shaved your head, though. How cool," Cece sniped, a fake smile plastered on her lips. By the clench of his jaw, it was evident that she had one-upped him.

Leon laughed out loud," Ha-ha, she got you dawg."

"Grab boxes and load the bed of the truck," Dom ordered to us. "Yo Red-Head?" he called to our backs. I bit down on my lip and turned around, already completely annoyed with his attitude. "Welcome to L.A."

I rolled my eyes and drug the others back to the living room with me. Once we all grabbed a box each, we marched outside to load the DT Auto Mechanics truck. Cece tossed her box on the bed of the truck, turning to me afterward.

"Dude, your dad is hot."

I rolled my eyes at her, knowing she would eventually say that.

**-X-**

_(_No POV)

"_Mom, we're leaving!"_

It was a distant call that made him perk up in the seat of his car. He had fallen asleep waiting for them to finish loading the DT Auto-Mechanics truck. He looked at his clock, noticing it was only 7:30 P.M. He looked over at his partner, who was staring intently at the small, white house.

"How long have I been out?" he asked his partner, trying to sit up in his seat. He winced as a sharp pain shot through his sore ribs. They were still healing.

"About an hour, maybe two," his friend replied, slouching a bit in the seat to make sure he wasn't spotted. "Why, can't we just get them now? I can't wait to make that bitch pay for what she did."

The man looked over at his partner, unhappy with the tone he was taking. After all, he was talking about his girl.

"Shut up, idiot. We aren't making a move until I know for sure they're alone. I don't want Dominic or his bitch fucking up my plan," he replied, squinting his eyes at the house.

Reese had had enough. He had been in that Team, that family for years and the way they were treating him now was unacceptable. The whole dynamic of the Team changed once Letty had shown up. Dom or Vince never had a problem before with him sleeping with younger chicks, so what was the problem now? It was none of their concern what he did with Rylan. She was his. Ever since that first day she walked into the backyard, he had claimed her as his own. Maybe it was her playing hard-to-get. Maybe it was her no-nonsense, bitchy attitude. Or her feisty Latina background. He wasn't sure what it was, but it was something about her that made him need her. She would be his, one way or another.

He spotted his girl walking with a red-head and a taller boy with wavy hair. "Isn't that your brother?" he said to his partner.

Neiko looked closely, finally recognizing the strange boy walking with his target. "That little fucker. I knew something was going on between them two. I bet he told her about the plan. Well he's gonna see just what they do to men back in Tokyo who don't mind their fucking business."

"Let's get out of here. We have to find a place to stake out the new house," Reese said, speeding off down the road past the Toretto house.

As they looked over at the house, where Dom was standing on the porch, Neiko rolled the tinted window down slightly and stuck his hand out the window, his index finger bending, as if he's pulling a trigger.

* * *

(Dom)

"All right, that's the last of it."

I had been avoiding those words all morning. The way Leon said it as if this place had no meaning, like we were taking out the trash, hit me with a pang. I stood in the living room, a box under my arm, looking around at my old home. This place held all of my memories since I was born. My baby sister was born here, in one of those pregnancy tubs. I lost my virginity here, fell in love here. Not with the same person, might I add. As I looked around, I could practically see us all hanging around the house, kicking back. I looked down where the TV sat. _Jesse used to game on that TV for hours at a time_. I looked in the corner of the room that once held the radio. _Vince used to hook up the guitar and play crazy tunes during parties_. I turned and glanced in the den._ Family movie night. _I took a few steps to the kitchen and looked out onto the backyard. _Traditional Toretto barbecues were held out there nearly every Sunday._

I smiled at the memories and walked out of the house, turning to lock the door. Every one was walking to the truck, tossing the last of the things into the bed. As I stopped to take a deep breath, the screeching of tires down the street caught my attention. I didn't recognize the black Civic with tinted windows that passing the house, but it put me on edge. The passenger side window rolled down, only enough for the passenger to stick their hand out, fake-shooting me with their hand. If I knew any better, the passenger looked a lot like Neiko.

I shook off the anger it gave me as I continued down the steps. I tossed my box in the bed and closed the latch.

"Drive it, don't wreck it," I said, tossing my keys to Letty. She gave me the finger and jumped in the truck.

I laughed as I walked over to the driveway, where my Charger sat waiting. I took a deep breath and slid in.

I looked up, my eyes landing on the thing that meant the most to me: the shed. The place that held all my last memories of my father. The place that was covered in pictures and memorabilia of my father and his racing career. The place where I helped him build his '68 Charger. It was my safe haven after his death. After I got out of Lompoc, I spent the next few months in there, just working on the Charger. It took me a while to warm up to it, but I knew he wouldn't want me to abandon it.

I smiled, knowing I was finally getting over all the pain I had suffered in the last two decades. I had finally grown and was able to become my own man. I was ready to let go of my father and his memory and let him rest in peace.

I started the beauty and backed out of the driveway for the last time.

About twenty minutes later, I was pulling up behind the F-150 truck at the new house. Looking over at it, it looked like it should belong to some retired CEO and his church-going family. Instead, my misfit family now _owned_ this dream home.

"Dad, get over here and help!" Rylan screamed from the truck. I smiled and got out, walking over to the truck.

_**Later that day...**_

We spent the better of the evening packing all of the old stuff into their respectable places. The house was soon becoming a home. The living room was spacy, which made plenty of room for the new furniture. The hardwood floors looked good with the olive-colored sofas and loveseats. The fireplace gave the area a nice homey feeling. The kitchen was monstrous and the fridge was barely empty, only holding Corona's and frozen pizzas. We would have to go grocery shopping soon.

I grabbed a beer and walked into another room of the house, which Letty decided would be a relaxing den room. She wanted a place where the family could get together and watch TV and relax, much like the den in the old house. I guzzled my drink as I explored the rest of the house. I made my way up the steps, down the hall to the boys' room. Koy opted to share a room with Robbie, considering they had become so close in the past few months. I opened the door and peeked in.

"You guys okay?" I asked, looking around the spacious room. There were skateboarding posters covering the walls and toys scattered all over the floor. Koy begged Letty for bunk beds, which she couldn't resist. Robbie was laying on the blue-carpeted floor, rolling around a toy car. I couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, we're just trying to figure out how to set this up," Koy replied, pointing to the Hot Wheels car track that had been sitting in his closet forever. He never had the room at the old house to take it out and fully enjoy it.

"Read the instructions. Where's Jack?" I asked, noticing the hyper Jack Russell wasn't running around destroying everything.

"Outside with Ry," Robbie replied, not looking up from his car.

Holler if you need me," I replied, walking out of the room. I noticed the sun shining bright down the hall through the double-doors that led out to the balcony. I could see Letty leaning against the balcony, looking out at the water. I walked out the doors, noticing how beautiful the view was. The balcony overlooked the ocean and the sandy beach. _I could definitely get used to this._

I stood behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist. She sighed and leaned into my embrace.

"It's so amazing out here D. I can't believe someone didn't nab this place up sooner," Letty said.

"I know," I looked down at the teenagers, who were sitting in the sand, staring out into the ocean. Turbo was sitting a little too close to Rylan for my liking, but I bit my tongue. Letty looked back at me and traced my line of vision.

"Oh don't tell me you're nervous about Toby? The kid is harmless, Dom. It's obvious he's crazy about her."

"I don't wanna make the same mistake with him that I did with Neiko. I knew he was up to no good. I should've kept him away from her," I shook my head, frustrated that I let that punk my girl's heart.

"Hey, you were giving her free reign to make her own choices. Rylan's not stupid, she knows how to handle herself. She won't get played twice. She's smart."

I nodded, finishing the rest of my beer. I nuzzled my head in the crook of Letty's neck, her arm snaking up to rub my head.

"I love you Arletta. Thanks for helping me move on."

She turned around, wrapping her arms around my neck. "I love you Dominic Toretto. And you didn't move on, Dom. You just moved out. Tony's still there. Watching us all, right now," she said, pointing to the bright L.A sky.

I looked over her head at the sky, seeing my dad's face smiling at me. He had a Fedora on and a cigar in his mouth. I kissed Letty's forehead and lifted my hand to my forehead, giving my father a formal salute. I would miss him.


	36. Recognizing Danger

**Disclaimed: I own nothing from the 'Fast and Furious' franchise except the characters you don't recognize.**

**Thanks for the reviews. I'm not getting many reviews, which makes me worry. If I don't get many more, I'll probably end up quitting this early. REVIEW PEEPS!**

**Chapter 36**

Rylan and her friends on the beach in the sand, watching the sun as it set rather quickly. She took in the salt water smell, she knew she had to get used to it. She enjoyed it actually, the smell of the beach. Considering she had never even seen one in her life, she knew she would make it a habit to spend as much time there as possible. She could feel it quickly becoming a safe haven for her. A place to get away from her parents and all the drama. She wished she could live there. But living about thirty yards away would have to do.

"Rylan! You're spaced out again," Cece said, nudging Rylan 's shoulder. "I asked how it was living with Dom. Is he cool or what?"

Rylan snorted, "It's hell. He is the most narrow-minded, pigheaded, arrogant prick I've ever met."

"Wow," Cece replied.

"But I love him. He tries a little too hard, but he does care. Which is a lot more than I can say about Ryan," she thought about her soon-to-be ex-stepfather. Nothing extreme had happened since she got word of him being released, and she could only hope that it would stay that way.

Cece nodded, turning back to the sun. A smile came upon her face, which made Rylan only frightened of what she could be thinking.

"What ever happened to your Asian lover?"

Rylan rolled her eyes. From what Toby told her, he sat in his room for hours that night before William finally went up and untied him. He bitched and moaned about it until the early hours of the morning.

"That guy was a clown. A fuckin' perv who just wanted to bone. Got rid of him quickly," Rylan retorted, her teeth clenching at the thought of Neiko. _Dickhead._

"Damn girl. Runnin' through them quick huh?" Cece said, making Stacy laugh.

Rylan quirked her eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

Cece didn't respond, but nodded over to Turbo, who was staring off into the water. Rylan looked at him, noticing how the sun made his bright blue eyes even brighter. His hair looked crazy as it blew freely in the wind. She got that same feeling a few days ago, the butterflies. He noticed her staring and looked at her, giving her a small smile. Rylan couldn't stop the smile from creeping on her lips.

"Exactly girl," Cece said, her and Stacy laughing again.

Rylan finally broke the stare, turning to her friend. "Shut up Ce. God, you're still a loud-mouth aren't you?"

"You know it girl," Cecelia smiled.

"Guys, let's go! We're going to see Mia," Dom's voice yelled over to them.

"We'll have to finish this pow-wow later," Rylan said sarcastically, taking Turbo's hand to help her up. When he held on for a second too long, Rylan could feel those butterflies again, this time they made her stomach tickle. She giggled aloud, causing them all to turn to her.

"What the hell was that?" Stacy asked, looking at her strange sister.

Rylan blushed, trying to think of a witty comeback. Unable to think quick enough, she just shrugged, "That was T. He's such a fuckin' girl," she said, smiling at him. His face turned red as they all started back for the house.

A few blocks away, Reese lifted his phone to his ear, calling his new boss.

"They're on the move now. Probably heading up to the hospital. I heard around that Toretto's sister had her babies. I bet that's where they're going," he spoke, watching as the Charger and Jeep drove off.

"Good. I'll send my partner to the hospital. He'll beat them there. I want you to stake out the hospital until you can catch her alone. If you can't get her, get the red-head. It's her best friend, so I know she'll fight for her."

"Cool. Are you sure this is gonna work? I mean Dominic is pretty territorial," Reese replied, unsure of their plan.

"Dominic Toretto is nothing I can't handle. You wanna get paid, do your part," and with that, the line with dead.

"Shit is gonna hit the fan," Reese said to Neiko as he sped his Civic down the road.

* * *

"I'm Officer O'Conner with the Manhattan Police Department," he showed his badge to the clerk. "I need to see Mia Toretto for questioning."

The clerk was frightened by his two bodyguards, but continued flipping through the listing on her clipboard.

"Room 145," she said quickly, wanting them to leave her presence as soon as possible.

Brian, followed by some of Ryan's goons, made his way to Mia's room. He didn't know what he thought he would find when he got to her room, and he wasn't sure he was ready to find out. He had missed Mia over the years, even tried to get in touch with her. But he couldn't find it in himself to go through with it, to actually try and be with her again. As a part of his deal on getting in good with the MPD, he had to keep away from all Toretto's and their associates. Even looking them up through the police database could result in him not getting a law enforcement job ever again.

Before he could think anymore of it, he was standing outside Mia Toretto's room. He peered through the plexiglass, noticing Vince and Mia holding their newborn babies. They both looked so happy. It made Brian sick to his stomach.

"Stand here. Don't let anybody in. And if Toretto shows up, call for backup. He won't be alone," Brian whispered, the guards nodding in reply. He took a deep breath and fixed his glasses on his face, pushing the door open.

"Can we help you?" Mia asked sweetly, looking up at the door. It was obvious she didn't recognize her old lover. He had a full grown beard which was long and shaggy and the glasses he wore were too dark to see those blue eyes. His hair was shaved close to his head, leaving him a slight buzz. His usual skinny frame was now more toned and buff. He didn't look like Brian Earl Spilner at all.

"Wow, you've grown up. Mama Mia, huh?" Brian said with a smirk, crossing his large arms over his chest.

"I'm sorry, do we know you?" Vince asked, placing Adrian in his crib. He looked very skeptical at the stranger. He had thought he recognized him, but he couldn't place where.

"Very well actually. Take a seat Vincent," Brian said, his voice a lot deeper than what it had been twenty years ago when he last spoke to any of the Team.

Vince ignored the order, stepping closer to the man. He didn't know him, and he didn't want him any closer to his new family.

"Not until you tell me who you are. What do you want?" Vince asked, standing only a few feet away from the man. His fist were clenched and he was ready to brawl.

"Take a fucking seat, Vincent!" the man growled, his .9mm gun in Vince's face. Mia gasped loudly, terrified for her life. She tried to reach for the intercom button on her bed that paged the nurse, but couldn't with Brian noticing.

"Mia, I wouldn't do that if I were you. Just relax. Put the baby in the crib," he ordered, nodding to the empty bed. Mia did as she was told, not wanting to piss this guy off anymore.

"What do you want?" Vince muttered through clenched teeth. Brian didn't reply, but only pulled off his aviator glasses, revealing the bright blues that Mia had fallen in love with so many years ago. Mia gasped, shocked at who stood in front of her. Vince shot out of his seat. "Fuckin' O'Connor! You must have a fuckin' death wish or somethin'," Vince bellowed, ignoring the weapon that was pointed at his head. Even though Brian got him off that truck, got his family off the hook, and got out of their lives for good, he still hated him with a passion. It was the fact that he had everyone (except him) convinced that he wasn't a cop. That he was just a newbie in town who wanted to make fast cash and run with the hottest team. Vince could see right through is act. He had been around enough cops in his lifetime to spot an undercover ten miles away. Now the same one who fucked up his life before, was standing in front of him, pointing a gun to his head in from of his new family.

"Shut up Vince. As much as you would like to think, I am not here for you," Brian spat, smirking as he turned his eyes to the babies. He walked slowly towards Adrian's crib, looking over the beautiful child.

"Don't you fucking touch my boy! I'll have-" Vince started for the cop, his face red and angry.

"You'll what?" Brian asked quickly, pressing the cold steel to Vince's forward, stopping him in his tracks. "Vince, now is no time to be brave, my friend. Just sit the fuck down and relax," Vince hesitated, but did as he was told, keeping guard of his children.

"What do you want Brian? We haven't done anything wrong. My family has been clean for years now, so why could you possibly be here?" Mia asked, staring with hatred at the man who she once loved. It was obvious he had changed over the years, but she couldn't help but notice how good the years had done him.

"It may come to a surprise to you Mia Toretto, but I am not here for the Toretto's. I want you to press that little button and ask for Denise Clark. Don't get any ideas though Mia or I will put a bullet in V's head without a second thought," the way he spoke was a lot different years ago. Now, he wasn't as soft-spoken or gentle, but rather volatile and harsh.

Mia did as she was told, pressing the button on the side of her bed, her voice shaky as she paged her friend.

"What do you want with Doc?" Vince asked, furrowing his brows at the cop.

Before he had a chance to respond, the door to the room opened.

"Thanks girl," Denise said to a passing nurse with a laugh. She turned around, stopping dead in her tracks at the sight in front of her. Her cop boyfriend was holding a gun to her new friend's husband's head, and she knew it had to do with her. Some shit was about to come out the closet and she figured it had to do with the guards standing outside the door. The smirk was wiped off her now ghostly-pale face.

"Hey honey. I'm home," Brian smiled sweetly at her.

* * *

(Dom)

As we pulled up to the hospital, I got a strange gut-feeling that we were being followed. Ever since I seen that Civic ride past the house, I had an unusual sense that things weren't as okay as I previously thought. I shrugged off my worries and followed everyone through the hospital doors. We walked up to the clerk's office to check in for visiting hours.

"Here you go, Mr. Toretto," the clerk said, her hands trembling as she handed me a visitor's badge.

"You all right?" I asked, noticing how spooked she looked. Her eyes quickly and nervously traveled to her right, where two large men stood, watching my family. I quirked a brow at her silence.

"Yeah, just fine. Feeling a bit under the weather is all," I nodded as the family started for the elevator.

"Wait a minute guys," I said, leaning across the counter to the scared clerk. "Are they here for me?" I whispered the best my voice would manage.

She shook her head, "They showed up with a cop. He's in your sister's room now. Said he wanted to talk to her. For questioning," I leaned back, shocked by the news. Why had the cops wanted to talk to Mia? The Team had stayed out of trouble for years, minus the occasional speeding ticket. But nothing to my knowledge that was too serious. Right?

"Are there more?" I whispered to the woman, who's name-badge red Sharon.

"Some moseying around your sister's floor."

"Is there another way up there without using those elevators?" I wanted to make sure Mia was okay, but I didn't want anyone getting hurt, or worse.

She jerked her head to the left, "Another elevator at the end of the hall. A little further down is a stairwell."

I nodded, turning to Jesse. I pulled him off to a corner. "See those guys over there?" Jesse turned slightly, but I punched him quickly. "Use your peripherals Jess," he stared straight ahead, his eyes focusing slightly to the right, and nodded. "I dunno why, but they here with a cop. I think they're here to make sure we don't go up there. I need you to take the others back out to the car and head out. Don't stop driving 'til you get my call, okay?"

"Where's he goin'?" Letty asked, her and Leon approaching me.

"I think we got trouble. Just to be safe I want Jess to get everyone out of here. We'll stay here incase anything happens," I said, my voice low.

They both nodded and walked over to the kids, whispering in their ears. While the others agreed and followed Jesse out, Rylan (of course) came over with a frown.

"I'm not going anywhere, Dad. I'm staying to help," Rylan said defiantly, crossing her arms over her chest. I clenched my teeth. Now was not the time for her to be a brat.

"Rylan, not now, go please. I'll call you guys when everything's safe," I said, turning away from her. She grabbed my arm, spinning me to face her.

"Dad, I can help! Stop treating me like a child!" she whispered harshly.

"As of right now, you are a child!" I whispered firmly, not in the mood to deal with her drama.

Letty stepped in, "Rylan," she said, giving her a 'cut-the-shit' look. It was the same look she gave me anytime I was out of line, that made me get my shit together. It worked every time.

Rylan rolled her eyes, storming off after Jesse and the others. I mouthed a 'thanks' to her and turned to Leon and Brick, who walked over during Rylan's tantrum.

"Listen, I want you guys to take the elevator. Let and I will take the stairs. If you get stopped by more of those goons, don't cause trouble. Just lead them outside. We can't risk anything with Mia and the twins here," I said, my heart thumping. I was hoping all of this was a misunderstanding that could be resolved without confrontation.

We all split up, making our way up to the second floor.

"Ay, everything's gonna be okay," Letty reassured, her hand on my arm.

"Better be," I growled as the elevator doors opened.

Sure enough, there were two more guards standing down the hall, outside of Mia's door. I kept Letty close behind me as I approached the guards.

"How ya doin' fellas?" I asked nonchalantly. They didn't respond, but instead gave me dirty glares. "You wanna move so I can go in there? Or you gonna stand there lookin' stupid?" I tested them, curious as to how they would respond. I noticed Leon and Brick approaching them from behind.

Letty tried to slip between them, reaching for the door, but was stopped when one of the guards grabbed her arm.

"You aren't allowed in there," one said. I clenched my teeth, grabbing his arm, squeezing as hard as I could.

"Don't you EVER touch her again," I growled, stepping in his face.

"Hey, fuck off buddy," Guard One said, manning up. I noticed Guard Two pulling out his cell and dialing a number, putting the phone to his ear.

"They're here..." he trailed off. He nodded into the phone and hung up, leaning over to Guard One.

"You better fuckin' watch it," Guard One warned as he yanked his arm back, stepping away from the door. Leon and Brick stayed outside while we proceeded in. I frowned as I pushed the door opened, my temper skyrocketing at the sight in front of me.

"What's going on here? Who-" I started, staring at the man in uniform. It took only a few seconds for me to recognize those blue eyes. "The fuck are you doing here Cop?" I spat, stepping closer.

"Why don't you ask your precious Letty this?" he said, his voice deep and gravelly. I turned to her, curious as to what he was talking about.

Her face was pale and her jaw was tight. She obviously knew it was Brian and knew what he was doing here.

"Brian is Denise's boyfriend," Letty said, her face cast to the floor. I seemed to be the only one surprised. Probably because everyone already knew.

I finally turned to Denise, who had a terrified look in her eyes. I asked her the question everyone had been secretly wanting to ask for weeks. "Denise, why are you here? In California? Why did Letty bring you here?"

She took a deep breath, then turned to Brian. "I was the doctor assigned to Letty's husband's case. She caught on that Brian was beating me, and she became someone I could talk to about it. After a fight with Brian one night, I called her. She was the only person who could keep me safe. I stayed with her at her hotel, and she invited me back here when she was ready to go. So I took the chance."

"So when I showed up at the house, when you two were there, you were trying to sneak out on me?" Brian asked, a smile in his voice.

"Wait..." I interrupted. "Letty you _knew_ Brian was her boyfriend? You knew Doc was trouble and you brought her into my home anyways?" I growled angrily. Letty knew how close this family was and we didn't any trouble that could hurt us again. "How could you be so stupid?"

"First off, Dom, watch how you speak to me," she started, her hand in my face. "Second, she was someone who needed out. She was in the same fuckin' situation I was and she needed help. So I helped her."

"So what do you want Brian? You want Doc? Take her, have her. Just get the fuck out of ours lives again," Vince's abrasive voice was a bit much, but I understood where he was coming from.

"VINCE!" Mia yelled shockingly.

"What Mia? It's not our problem what they do. I just want the fucking cop out of our lives again," V finished.

I saw how defeated Doc looked, upset that we were so willing to let her go back to the man that had been hurting her. As a man, a Toretto man, I would never let a guy put his hands on a woman and turn the other cheek. Even if it wasn't my business, it ain't happenin' in my presence.

"O'Connor, why don't you just leave? The Doc ain't going anywhere. She's apart of our family now. So it's best for you to leave," I bargained with him. Suddenly, Brian turned his gun to me, holding it still between my eyes.

"Dominic, you aren't the boss right now. Since I'm the one holding the gun, I say who stays and who goes. And guess what? Denise goes. And if I were you, I'd be more worried about my child than someone who is none of your concern."

* * *

(No POV)

Jesse had the boys loaded in the back of the Jetta, making sure Rylan, Cece, and Turbo was behind him before taking off. He didn't know where to go, but the adrenaline pumping through his veins told him to get the hell out of there. And fast.

"Rylan, tell T to follow me. We're going to Brick's apartment. I have a spare key," Jesse said in his cell phone, quickly hanging up. He checked his rear view one last time before speeding off, unaware of the black Civic following behind the Jeep closely.

They pulled up to Brick's complex, which was nearly half-way across town. It was in a small, remote area that Jesse and Brick used as practice track. He pulled the Jetta down a dark alleyway nearby, waiting for the Jeep to pull in before he killed the engine.

He turned to the boys in the back, "Why can't we go see Aunt Mi?" Koy asked curiously.

"Your dad wants to make sure everything is okay with her first. She already had visitors and Dom wanted to make sure they were nice people first," Jesse lied, knowing Koy would see right through it. But he was too nervous to elaborate with an 11 year-old.

He unloaded the boys out the back and led everyone up to Brick's apartment on the third floor. He put the key in the lock, pushing the door open slowly, waiting for the force that was soon coming.

"Don't freak out," he whispered to everyone as a large Rottweiler came sprinting towards the front door. It slid across the floor trying to come to a halt, tongue and drool flailing in the air. "Hey boy. How ya doin'? Miss me?" Jesse couldn't help but stop to pet the frivolous animal. "This is Hercules, Brick's dog. Doesn't bite, unless it needs too. Come on in," Jesse said, moving further in the apartment. "Don't touch anything please. B is a neat freak."

They all entered the house, finding them a place on the large, wrap-around sofa. Jesse turned on cartoons to entertain the boys while he walked to the kitchen for a drink.

Rylan stood by the large window, watching the night life in the far distance. She had to admit, this was a nice secluded place to live. The view was great. But that didn't deter her mind from her father and how much of a prick he was being. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't sense someone standing behind her.

Turbo was cautious when he placed his hands on her shoulders, not wanting her to take her anger out on him. They had become extremely close, and although he knew how he felt about her, he wasn't sure on her part. He slowly began to knead her shoulders, feeling the tension ease away as she relaxed under his touch. His hands moved lower, massaging her upper arms, then her lower. When his fingertips grazed her palms, she flinched, pulling away quickly. She turned to him, giving him a weak smile.

"Sorry, I'm just on edge," she said, combing her hands through her hair. As much as she enjoyed Toby's gentleness, she couldn't deal with the pressures of a relationship. Not with the threat of her stepfather being in town hovering over her head.

"Wanna take a walk?" he asked softly. She smiled, taking his hand and walking to the door.

"Where are you going?" Jesse asked from the kitchen, nursing a beer. Normally he wouldn't drink when he knew he'd be driving, but tonight he needed it.

"Going for a walk Jess. Call me if anything comes up," before Jesse could debate, the front door slammed.

**-X-**

Rylan crossed her arms over her chest as the cool wind chilled her skin. She was too worried about her Aunt Mia to think about the harm she could face walking around L.A at night. Not to mention, she had pissed off two different guys within weeks of each other, and there was no doubt in her mind that they both were out for blood. Rylan only hopped that her Caveman father could save everything.

"You don't have to be worried. Your dad-" Toby stopped when Rylan put a hand in his face.

"Don't T. I know he's great. I already have enough people telling me that," she rolled her eyes. "Are you only interested in me because of him? Because if so you can save the nice guy bullshit."

"First off, I knew your dad before you even came here. He has nothing to do with how I feel about you. But if you weren't on your permanent PMS _bullshit_, you would notice that," Toby spat angrily, finally fed up with her attitude. He had, at first, written it off as an early dislike for her new home. Now it was just rude and annoying.

"Toby," Rylan called out to him. When he didn't stop walking, she jogged up to him, grabbing his hand. She spun him around to face her, and without speaking a word, crushed her lips against his. This time, it felt right. Almost magical. Not the way it had felt with Neiko. Not purely sexual or forced. It just felt … _right_. "Look, I'm sorry okay. I'm just so sick of everyone pushing him on me. He's working his way into my life and I'm okay with that, as long as it's slow. I just don't need the pressure of that and everything else. It's wearing me out," she exclaimed, casting her gaze to the ground. She hated to appear weak and vulnerable, especially in front of someone else.

Toby placed his fingertips underneath her chin, lifting her eyes to his. "It's okay Ry. We're gonna get through this shit together. But only if you let me in and quit pushing me away. I'm not my brother. I'm not a jerk like him. This isn't an act. This is me. Take it or leave it," he gave her the ultimatum, unbeknownst to the black Civic creeping down the street slowly.

Before Rylan had a chance to answer, to tell him she wanted him and all of him, the sound of screeching tires broke the moment. Rylan and Toby jumped back from the curb, hoping that it was just a driver having trouble seeing the road. When two men jumped out in ski-masks, they knew their hopes were squashed.

"Get in the fucking car!" One man yelled to Rylan, his gun in her face.

"Fuck off buddy!" she bit back, still unable to handle her anger, even with a firearm pointed at her head.

"Get the fuck out of here before I call the cops!" Toby threatened, pulling his cell phone from his pocket. He began to dial 9-1-1 when the taller man dropped the butt of the gun on the back of his head, knocking him unconscious. The shorter man gave Turbo a swift kick to the gut for good measure, even if he couldn't feel it.

"Now like I said, get in the fucking car!" the taller one yelled, grabbing Rylan by her hair and shoving her into the car, speeding off.


	37. Dom's Wrath

**Thanks for the reviews.**

**Chapter 37**

(Letty)

"What the hell are you talkin' about?" Dom's gravelly voice asked.

"When I came here, to L.A., I didn't come alone."

After those words left his mouth, I shut my eyes tightly. I knew exactly what he meant. Ryan was here. In California. After me. I tried hard to control my trembling body as thoughts of what he would do Rylan ran through my head. There was no doubt in my mind that he would hurt my daughter for my abandoning him. Rylan, after all, was the reason we were in Los Angeles anyway. He wasn't gonna let her take away his family and get away with it. He was too devious for that.

"Where is he?" I asked softly, my eyes rolling to the sky. I was trying to keep my emotions in check for the sake of the situation. Wasn't any point in getting upset and pissy now. Now I had to take action to keep my family safe. Crying wasn't gonna help.

"All will be revealed, Miss Letty," Brian replied, just as his cell phone rang. "Speak of the devil..." he smirked, flipping the phone open. "Yeah, Boss, they're here … No she's not with them … Yeah, Arletta is here … Will do," We all watched in disgust as Brian sat with a smug smile on his face while he talked on the phone. He shut it quickly, tightening his grip on the gun that was still pointed at Dom's head.

"Sorry to cut our little meeting short, but we have to be heading out. Letty includes you Letty," Brian said, his grip on Denise's arm tight.

"_They_ aren't going anywhere, O'Connor," Dominic stepped up. I was secretly thankful that he wasn't trying to deal Denise for our safety like V had. He was such a bonehead sometimes.

"Who's gonna stop me Dom?" Brian asked, getting the courage to step in Dom's face. "I sure hope that Superman suit you love to wear so much is bullet-proof. You're gonna need it," he smirked, reaching behind him and grabbing the door handle. "Take this one. And watch it, she's feisty," he shoved me to one of the bulkier guards. I yanked away from the guard and walked, deciding it was in Rylan's best nature if I play good girl. For now.

"O'Connor!" I heard Dom's voice roar clear down the hall as we boarded the elevator. I looked over at Denise, who was visibly shaken by the whole situation. She really thought that Brian wouldn't catch up to her. He was a cop, he would always find her.

Unless he was dead.

"So where we goin'?" I asked in the dead silent elevator. If he was going to kidnap me, I wouldn't make it easy on him.

"You'll see," he said, pushing me out of the elevator and towards the front lobby doors. There were a group of squad cars parked in front of the hospital, the drivers chatting with other hospital patrons.

"Hold up buddy," one said, stepping in front of Brian. Brian kept the gun in the middle of my back with one hand and the other holding Denise's adamantly. The cop noticed Brian's Manhattan police badge and gave him a strange eyebrow. "You're a long way from home, aren't ya Dorothy?"

"Just came to pick my girlfriend and her friend up. They took a little vacation and their car broke down. Needed a ride," he replied quickly. Brian's wits were always a good thing, I give him that much.

The cop eyed me closely, trying to take a read on Brian's story. As much as I wanted to blurt that Brian was full of shit, I wanted to be alive to find my little girl.

"Is that so?" I looked away, wanting to get away from the situation. I was starting to hate cops more and more. They were dumber than a box of rocks. "Well we got a call of a disturbance happening on the second floor. There are witnesses saying they heard a lot of commotion coming from one of the rooms. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Brian put on his best smile, which would work on any moron. "No sir. Just came to retrieve the girls."

Brian hurried us to his squad car, shoving us both in the back. I wanted to choke the living hell out of Brian O'Connor, but that damn wire cage separated my hands from his neck.

"Sit back ladies. We're gonna go visit some friends."

**-X-**

It was nearly half an hour later that we were being shoved into the entrance of a gentleman's club. It was clear that the place had been abandoned for some time, with the wallpaper being peeled and discolored. The place was well lit at the moment, with slow Sinatra playing from overhead. It was a large establishment, with the name 'Parker's Palace' hanging high in lights. I let my mind wander at the name as I thought of New York.

Ryan took "business" trips a lot. He was out of town for many weeks at a time, but never disclosed his locations or what type of business it was.

I suddenly felt betrayed that my future ex-husband had been running a fuckin' strip joint and leaving me with three unruly children to take care of alone. He never mentioned a strip club, or even ever being to California.

_No reason in crying over spilled milk now that it's dry and sticky_, I thought as we were lead to a back room, which looked much like an office. There was a man sitting in a large leather chair, smoke from his cigar puffing into the air. It was the one man I hoped I wouldn't have to ever see again.

"Parker, got what you wanted," Brian said, pushing me into the room.

The chair swiveled around, my husband's pretty face appearing from behind a cloud of smoke.

"Well, well. If it isn't Letty Gonzales," my body tensed, "What? Isn't that what you call your self?"

"Nice to see you again. Though, I can't say I'm glad to see your little 'stunt' failed," I couldn't help but running off at the mouth. It was what I was good at.

"You always were the mouthy one, you know," he replied, stubbing his cigar out. I rolled my eyes. "That's why I had to keep you in check all the time. I wished that worked with our little girl. She just doesn't know when to shut up."

I tensed up at the mention of Rylan. He still had no idea that Rylan wasn't his.

"Where is she?" I knew what kind of damage he could do and I wasn't sure Rylan could take it for as long as I did.

"Don't worry about that. Let's go catch up," he grabbed my arm, pulling me away from the group.

* * *

(No POV)

Back at Brick's apartment, Jesse was downing his third beer with worry. It had been an hour and there was still no call from Dominic.

"They've been gone for a long time," Stacy acknowledged from her spot by the window. "I'm getting worried."

"Call her cell," Jesse exclaimed from the kitchen. He hadn't even realized how long the two had been gone.

Cece pulled out her phone, frantically dialing the number. When it went straight to voice-mail, she began to panic.

"It's going straight to voice-mail. Call Toby," she exclaimed, trying Rylan's phone again.

Jesse dialed Toby's phone, but got no answer. He tried three more times, still getting the same result.

"Stacy, stay here with the boys. Cece, let's go," Jesse said, running for the door. "Call Dominic Stace!"

The two bolted out the house and down the stairs, running around to the Jetta. His tires burned into the gravel as he sped off down the road.

"What the hell was I thinking, letting her go out at night," Jesse panicked. He knew Dom and Letty were gonna rip him a new one if they didn't find Rylan.

"Hey, relax. We could be overreacting," Cece replied, more so to convince herself that her best friend wasn't somewhere hurt.

Just as the words left her mouth, they noticed a body laying slumped on the sidewalk. Jesse screeched the Jetta to a stop, both passenger's running over to the body.

"Oh my god, it's Toby!" Cece exclaimed, immediately thinking the worst had happened.

"Come on T, wake up man," Jesse frantically slapped the young boy's face, hoping he would come to. After a few moments, Toby's eyes fluttered open. He winced as a pain shot through the back of his head, but managed to stand to his feet. "What happened to you Kid? Where's Rylan?"

Toby's eyes glazed over as he tried to get out of Jesse's grip. He spun around dazedly, trying to put together the events that lead to him being unconscious.

"I gotta find Rylan," he whispered in angst, pushing Jesse out of his way as he started to stumble down the street. The two ran to him, hoping to get some information out of him. He ignored Jesse's calls as he continued down the road, though he had no idea where he was going. It was pitch black out and the nearest highway was nearly ten miles away. Cece ran to him, her panic turning into paranoia.

She put her hands on his chest, stopping him in his tracks. "Look, you need to stop and listen to me. Rylan is out there somewhere, and we need to find her before something happens to her. So snap the fuck out of it and get it together."

Toby was taken aback by her ferocious bark, but tried to clear his head to remember the previous twenty minutes.

He started with a stutter, "I-I just remember arguing with her. The next second, a car pulled up and yelled for her to get in the car. When I pulled out my cell to call the cops, somebody must'a knocked me out 'cause I don't remember much past then. For some reason, my fuckin' ribs ache," he mumbled, rubbing his quickly-bruising abdomen.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Jesse yelled, slapping his palm against his forehead several times. He knew he was going to be in deep shit for letting Rylan get kidnapped. He had no idea where she could be or who would want her. He didn't even know where to start.

Cece rolled her eyes, walking over to Jesse. She was usually the one to keep her calm during the strangest of situations, and now wasn't any different. She had to take control and take cautious steps to help get her friend back.

After watching his run his hands through his hair several times, she gave him a tough slap in the face. Just hard enough to bring him back to reality.

"You back on Earth?" she asked firmly. He swallowed hard and nodded. "Good. Now who had problems with Rylan?"

"Just a few guys that she pissed off. Most recently was his brother."

"Okay. Then why are we just standing here? T, where would your brother be right now?" Cece asked, surprised how composed she was being.

Turbo hesitated for a moment, "I have no idea. Sundays he's usually with the Team all day working on their cars."

"Then let's go," she yelled, running to the Jetta and jumping the driver's seat.

"What the hell are you thinkin'?! You are _not_ driving my car!" Jesse yelled from near the front bumper.

"Jesse, if we get pulled over for speeding, do you want DUI charges added onto that?" When he didn't reply, she continued. "That's what I thought. I drive fine. Now get in the fuckin' car!"

Jesse clenched his jaw, trying to control his rage as he ran over to the passenger side, jumping in.

"You sure are pushy," he muttered.

She quickly tossed her red hair up in a messy bun and turned to him with a smile. "You know, you aren't the first to tell me. I wonder what that's all about."

She shrugged and sped off.

**-X-**

Rylan licked her lips as she could taste the crimson blood that was now pouring out of her mouth.

It was the third time he had back-handed her in the last ten minutes, and she was starting to get annoyed.

The first time was when she realized who her kidnapper's had been. The second time was when she said their names aloud, receiving another smack from the man in the passenger seat. The last time was when she threatened to "bash your fuckin' skull in" when she got free. After they sped off from the curb, the driver led them to a dark alleyway, where the passenger yanked Rylan out and tossed her to the ground.

"You think you're so fucking funny don't you?!" he yelled, clenching his fist tight and dropping it down on Rylan's jaw.

She bit her lip to hold back the yelp that threaten to come out. _That one was definitely gonna leave a bruise_, she thought as her face began to sting.

"Not as funny as that picture. You shoulda seen my dad's face," Rylan laughed again. She knew it was pressing their buttons, and quite frankly, she didn't give a shit.

Neiko went to hit her again, when his partner spoke up.

"Hit her again, and I'm gonna hit you," he threatened, his voice exasperated. He wanted to get Rylan to their destination, get his money, and get the hell out of California. "Here, tie her up," he tossed Neiko a bundle of rope and leaned against the Civic, watching as the teenager struggled to get Rylan to comply. After Rylan gave Neiko a swift kick to the family jewels, Reese threw his hands up, finally having enough.

Reese yanked his pistol out of the holster and put it to Rylan's head.

"Listen, sweetheart. You're getting on my nerves. So unless you want your head blown off, I suggest you sit still," Reese warned, pointing the gun to Rylan's head as Neiko bounded her hands and feet together.

"You are _really_ gonna regret this when my Dad takes that gun and gives you another whole to breathe out of," she hissed.

"For fuck's sake tape her mouth shut," Reese sighed, tossing duct tape to Neiko. After giving Neiko a nice size wound between his index finger and thumb, her mouth was taped and her body was tossed in the trunk of the Civic.

After her captor's were in the car and back on the road, Neiko turned to Reese nervously. "You think she really meant that?" Reese looked at him in confusion. "You think Dom will kill us if she gets away?"

Reese thought for a moment, then turned to him. "Well we better make sure she doesn't get away, huh?"

* * *

(Dom)

I paced the hospital room frantically as I tried to control my anger. I could not believe that Brian O'Connor had the _audacity_ to come to _my_ town and fuck with _my_ family – again. He got away with it once, but I promised myself that this time … Brian O'Connor won't make it out of California alive.

"What the fuck just happened? Where the hell are they going with Denise and Letty?" Brick asked angrily as he entered the room, Leon hot on his heels.

"I wish I had the answers, Brick. But I don't," I said simply, shrugging as I flopped down in a seat. I had to figure out how to get our women back and make sure my kids were okay.

"Well you need to find some, because if something happens to them, I will fuck you up!" Brick snapped, stepping in my face. I jumped up quickly, ready to defend myself. Brick was a big boy, and although we hadn't physically fought as of today, I knew his emotions would make him twice the beast he usually was.

"Everybody just relax!" Lisa's voice of reason cut in. "You aren't gonna get them back standing here pissed at each other. If you wanna argue, take it out there!" she yelled, pointing to the door. I gave Brick one last scowl before moving outside the room.

"You need to step down off your high horse for a second. In case you missed it, he took _my_ girls too. I wanna kill this fucker too, but I think it's way deeper than that," I whispered angrily to him.

"Gentlemen, is there a problem here?" a voice – one that could only belong to authority – called from behind us. I turned to find two uniform officers standing behind me.

"No problem, Officer. Just having a little disagreement," I lied, waiving them off.

"Well we got a disturbance call. The clerk directed us to this room, said someone might be in trouble up here," the other cop replied.

"No sir. We'll try to keep it down," Leon backed me up. The officers gave us another lasting glance, then continued down the hall.

Brick waited until they were out of earshot until he spoke again, "Why did you lie? They could help us."

"No matter what, we don't fuck with cops. Ain't nothing but crooked police in L.A. Had to find that out the hard way," I replied, freezing up at the memory of twenty years ago.

"Then how the hell do you plan on getting them back?" Brick questioned. "If that cop ends up dead, we're lookin' at a shitload of jail time. For all of us."

I only nodded and re-entered Mia's room.

"You done?" Mia quirked an eyebrow at me, something she only did when she was angry. She was holding one of the twins and I couldn't keep the smile off my face. I was happy that she finally had someone of her own to nurture and take care of, instead of six dysfunctional adults.

"Yeah. We gotta think of a plan."

"I'm gonna call Jess," Leon said, stepping out of the room.

"Okay, we gotta get movin' before they get too far," Brick and I stood, moving to the door. When I noticed Vince behind us, I held my hand up. "No brother, you gotta stay with Mia on this one."

"Fuck that! That motherfucker held a gun to my head," Vince retorted.

"Well now you're even," I replied. "I need you to stay here with Mia and the twins. Protect them V. They are your responsibility now. Make sure nobody enters this room. If anyone asks, say Denise had a family emergency," I could tell Vince wanted to argue the situation, but I wouldn't budge when it came to my sister's safety. "I'm serious V. Stay here."

After a moment of hesitation, he finally complied with a nod. He grabbed my hand and brought me in for a tough hug. "Be careful bro. Come back in one piece."

At that moment, Leon came barging into the room, his face holding a look of pure distraught.

"I just got off the phone with Jesse. Dom, somebody took Rylan."

My vision instantly clouded and it became increasingly difficult to see. Pressure in my brain began to build up and I felt slightly dizzy. I quickly placed my hand on a nearby wall to keep my balance. There was no way what Leon was saying was true.

"What do you mean somebody took Rylan?" my voice was so low that I was unsure if I had even spoken.

"Jesse said that he took the kids back to Brick's place. Turbo and Ry went for a walk, but never came back. When they went to find them, they only found Toby lying on the sidewalk. Somebody knocked him out and forced Rylan in a car. Somebody has your little girl, D."

Tears glistened in my eyes as his words repeated in my head, over and over. _Somebody has your little girl_. I clenched and unclenched my jaw repeatedly, trying to muster up the strength to even breath. As soon as the pain came, it left. It was replaced with pure, unadulterated wrath. I felt like one pissed off bull ready to be released from the stable, ready to pounce on anything that stood in my way.

Everything around me began to dissipate immensely. I didn't hear the cries of the twins start, I didn't notice Leon's hand waving in front of my face. I only barely heard Mia's panicked voice yelling for me.

"D, please don't do anything that'll lead you back to Lompoc. Get our girls, and for God's sake, be careful big brother."

I honestly had no idea if I could control myself when I caught up to Brian and the guy who had my daughter. I couldn't make any promises.

But I made one to myself years ago. I'd die before I go back to Lompoc.

I opened my mouth to speak, but she held her hand up before I could. "I don't wanna hear it D. Just bring my family back."

Without further talk, we all raced out of the hospital and down to the parking lot. I noticed the clerk, Sharon, standing around with a few other nurses.

"What car and which way?" I barked to her as I fumbled with the keys.

"Black squad car and a black SUV. They flew off like a bat outta hell that way," Sharon's shaky voice replied as she pointed right, towards what Leon called the "Night Life District". Our cars sped off after Letty's captor's. I hoped to God that we could catch them before anything happened.

After about twenty minutes of driving, I was starting to lose hope. Just as I picked up the talkie to call the boys off, it beeped before I could speak.

"Dom, right there! A black Suburban," Brick's voice called over the talkie. I peered through traffic, noticing a black Suburban driving at intense speeds for such a heavy car. It had to be them.

"Okay guys, follow them. Don't lose them," I ordered as I shifted gears, pushing the Charger harder, quickly maneuvering in and out of traffic. I nearly T-boned a Honda that happened to be running a red light at the same time that we were breaking every traffic law. Thankfully, the advanced handling my Charger had made it able for me to barely avoid the tail end of the Prelude and keep control of the muscle car. We continued following the SUV until it made a sharp right, pulling into the parking lot of what looked like an abandoned strip club.

We parked on the curb outside the establishment, not wanting to be seen. It could lead to something happening to our girls, and that was something that we wouldn't risk, regardless of the situation.

I reached into the compartment beneath my seat and opened it, revealing my vast collection of handguns. I knew it was probably the dumbest thing to carry five concealed _illegal_ handguns in your car, but with the enemies I kept, I never knew when I might need one. I grabbed my favorite of the group, my Smith & Wesson .45 and two extra clips, shoving them in my pocket. I exited and locked up the car, walking behind to meet the other. Apparently, great minds think alike, for Leon was tucking his weapon in the back of his jeans and Brick was carrying his 20-gauge Nova pump shotgun.

"You aren't going back to Lompoc," Brick said, pointing the gun at me. I instinctively duck, reminding him how much I hated when he did that. He gave me an apologetic look. "You got too much going for you to go back to jail. So whatever happens in there, get the girls and get the fuck outta there. Don't hang around for us, we can handle ourselves."

I nodded at him, shaking his hand. I bumped knuckles with Leon and lead the boys to the entrance of the building.

_Well this oughta be fun_, I thought to myself.


	38. Parker's Palace

**Thanks for the reviews. I got three reviews this chapter, which is more than the usual two. Not the best, but it made my day! Good to know people are still reading this, cuz believe it or not, I put a lot of thought and effort into my stories. Even if it takes forever to get them finished lol. Thanks and review!**

**Chapter 38**

Rylan felt her claustrophobia kicking in as the limited air supply she had in the trunk began to give way. It didn't help that she only had a one-way air supply through her bloody nose. She began to feel drowsy as a wave of unconsciousness ran through her body. It didn't help that the trunk was tiny as hell, enabling her from stretching her long legs. Her body was sore and she was getting the worse charlie horse in the back of her thigh. She wanted to cry so bad, to cry for her daddy. But that just wasn't the type of girl she was. Even during her roughest moments, she depended on no one but herself to pull through. And crying wasn't going to get her out of the trunk, so there wasn't any point. She needed to stay strong and keep hope that she could somehow get away. The edge of blackness that crept to her consciousness wasn't helping though.

Just as she was blacking out, the car came to an abrupt halt. There were muffled voices as the trunk popped open, revealing her two captor's. They were no longer wearing ski-masks, but smiling down on her. Rylan easily recognized Reese, who was still sporting a broken nose and bruised face. Neiko, on the other hand, was nursing one helluva bruised ego and reputation. She wanted to smile, but the tightness of the duct tape prevented the motion.

"Let's get you outta here. Time to see Daddy," Reese smirked as he yanked Rylan out of the car. He tossed her effortlessly over his shoulder, fully expecting her to battle. Much to his surprise, she didn't move. Her body was nearly limp as he carried her through the backdoor of the strip club.

As they entered the building, Rylan made sure to look at everything. She needed to keep track of every exit possible once she got a chance to get free. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the dark, dim lighting of the hallway, but she could make out tall posters of half-naked women covering the walls. As they continued down the hall, she noticed an opening that lead out to the main entertainment room. Even if it was a glimpse, her eyes quickly scanned the room. There was a huge stage with a large pole and two medium-sized stages with their own poles as well. There were a few tables and booths that surrounded each stage, and a long bar that lined the back wall of the room. Before she could memorize anything else, the sounds of a door opening brought her back to their journey.

"Where do you want her?" Reese's voice asked another person, one she couldn't see because she was facing Reese's back.

"Just toss her down anywhere. I doubt we'll be here long."

In an instant, Rylan's heart rate increase profusely at the sound of the familiar voice. She had heard that voice all her life, there wasn't any way to escape it. Not even thousands of miles across the country. That same voice had followed her to her new home, undoubtedly to torture her and her family.

Rylan's body was dropped quickly on the floor, Reese clearly uncaring if it hurt her or not. As instructed, he removed the duct tape from her lips, much to her happiness. It was a lot easier to breathe that way. Yet, she still couldn't stop her attitude that came equipped with verbal diarrhea.

"Gee, Reese. I'm starting to think you don't love me anymore," she said sarcastically as she tried to push her body up against a nearby wall. He sneered at her, but turned to leave the room. Neiko stood there, unsure what to do next. "Boy, you aren't nearly as bright as I thought you were." Rylan chuckled, looking away. She waited a few seconds, then flinched at Neiko, as if she was ready to lunge at him. Of course, he flinched, receiving a laugh from her and a snicker from Ryan. "Still pathetic."

Neiko cursed under his breath, lunging for her, but was stopped by Ryan's hand on his chest.

"You touch her again, I'll kill you myself. Beat it," Rylan snarled, nodding furiously to the door. Neiko gave Rylan one lasting glare before leaving the room.

Rylan was shocked that her "father" stood up for her, but she didn't let it show. There was always a method to his madness.

"Who in the hell made you peacemaker?" she mouthed, quirking a brow at the man. She looked into his icy blue eyes, realizing just how empty and evil they looked.

He didn't care about her, Letty, or her siblings. He simply wanted back the control over them like he had before. It wasn't like he didn't have the whole state eating out of his palms. No, he wanted more. To control the family that he's taken care of for years. Ryan didn't want it to all have been for nothing. He needed something, or someone, to show for all the trouble he had gone through taking care of them.

"Stop. I'm going to be the one doing the talking," he smirked, pulling up a nearby wooden chair. He sat it directly in front of her and took a seat. He stared down at her. She stared right back. She had never been afraid of the man who called himself her father. She wouldn't start now. "You know Rylan? You are something else. Always have been. Ever since you were a tot, you've had nothing but attitude and resentment towards me. I've given you everything you've ever wanted. Money, toys, jewelry, clothes, the works. I've taken care of you all your life. But instead of returning the love, you take my family away from me. You are my daughter Rylan, and despite our differences, I love you. I thought we were friends at one point. But then it all changed. I just wish you would've made a smarter choice."

Rylan guffawed, unable to believe his ignorance. "You are _unbelievable_. First off, we have never been friends. We were nothing remotely close to friends," as she spoke, his smile began to disappear. "I've hated you long enough to know how to hate someone. Since the first time you called Mom a whore … since the first time you put your hands on her, you've been the enemy. Since you pushed me down those steps, I've been plotting on a way to put you six feet under."

Ryan ran a frustrated hand down his face. "You are one ungrateful little bitch, you know that? I've always told my father that I would take care of my children and never abandon them, but I'm starting to think I should make an exception for you."

"Well there's one thing fucked up with your statement," her face held the proudest smile, "I'm not your fucking child."

Ryan looked at her closely, as if he were trying to dissect her words. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Rylan smirked, knowing she was getting into his head. She wasn't sure if her mother wanted to tell him, but she couldn't take it back now. "Exactly what I said. I'm not your kid. Not that you cared, but my mother did have a life before you. She was pregnant when she met you. God are you fucking stupid? We look nothing alike."

Ryan felt his heart crack at the words. He never questioned Letty about her past, simply because he didn't care. What she did before she met him wasn't any of his concern. It was only about the moment, not the past. Ryan was never the type of person to dwell on anything too long and his wife's past was included. But now, maybe, he made a mistake. Maybe he should've looked into her life more. Why she was running away from L.A. Why she wouldn't tell him why she'd never get rid of her prized Nissan. Why she was so wry of giving him a chance.

He looked at Rylan and realized, she was right. They did look _nothing_ alike. She had dark brown eyes, he had bright blue. She had long, brunette hair, he had light brown. It was clear in her features that she was Puerto Rican and Dominican, like her mother. But assessing her looks now, he could see that there was something else.

Ryan jumped out of his seat angrily, knocking it across the room. Rylan smiled, happy that she was in his head.

"That's not true. I'm your father. Letty never said anything about another man. I'm the reason you are here," his voice was muffled behind the hand covering his mouth. He was still in disbelief.

"Quando mio padre ti trova, sta per strangolare voi con le mani nude," she spoke in rapid Italian, thankful that Toby talked her into learning minor Italian.

Beyond peeved, Ryan ran his hands through his short hair, causing it to stick up in different directions.

"What did you just say?" he asked, his face flushed with anger. He had no idea she knew any language other than English.

Rylan smirked, "That when my dad finds you, he's going to strangle you with his bare hands."

Without warning, Ryan took a step and backhanded Rylan hand across the cheek. He smiled, happy that he finally let out some stress. Rylan bit her tongue to avoid crying out. She ran her tongue along the inside of the cheek that had just been struck. It wasn't the first time she was hit that night, but it was definitely the one that hurt the most. Not physically, but mentally. Though verbally and mentally abusive to her, and aside from pushing her down the stairs, he had not put his hands on her once.

"Keep it up, asshole. You're just digging yourself a deeper grave," Rylan couldn't stop the words from spilling from her mouths. And as she expected, Ryan rewarded her with another backhand, yet to her other cheek.

Grinning, Rylan flipped her grungy hair out of her face and sat back against the wall. "You hit like a bitch. I'm surprised Mom put up with that for so long. If you're gonna hit me, stop hitting like a girl. I'm getting bored with this."

Ryan, beyond furious with the mouthy teenager, drew back and landed a hard fist on the side of Rylan's face. The blow nearly crushed her orbital bone, and it was certainly the one that shut her up.

"Is that why you guys ran here? To be with this fucking punk?" Ryan screamed in her face, finally having enough of her back-talk. Rylan chewed on the inside of her mouth, trying to level her anger. She didn't like him talking about Dom, but she didn't want to say the wrong thing to get him killed either. When Rylan didn't speak, Ryan stood up straight, proudly straightening his suit. "Much better. You talk way too much. See ya in a bit," he said smugly as he stormed out of the empty room.

When she was confident he was gone, she let out a small shrill, the pain of all of her bruises and cuts finally catching up to her. She needed to get out soon.

Before she wouldn't feel anything anymore.

* * *

(Letty)

The bicep that Ryan was currently squeezing to death flexed as he tightened his grip, nearly dragging me through a dark hall. I knew from experience that fighting against didn't end well for me, so I kept my cool and followed him. Not to mention the pistol that was tucked tightly in his waistband. We stopped in front of a door, where a four-pin number key was required to open. I hoped that he was stupid enough to enter it while I stood there so I could memorize it, but I wasn't that lucky.

"Be a good little _wife_, and turn around," as he put emphasis on the word wife, I nearly puked in my mouth. I rolled my eyes and turned around. I felt a tug on a ponytail, where I presumed Ryan was keeping quite the hold on me. There were a few beeping sounds and the sound of a lock snapping back. Ryan grabbed my arm again and pushed me forward, shoving me into the room.

"Mom!" I heard Rylan's voice before I saw her. My heart rate immediately sped up as I looked to a far corner of the room where she sat, bound and beaten. My blood boiled nearly to the point where I wanted to say fuck that gun and beat Ryan to a bloody pulp. Her face was bruised badly and her bottom lip was split and swollen, dried up blood covering her chin. The moist look on the front of her black tank top showed that she was bleeding profusely. Her previously white cast covering her forearm was now pink.

I vowed Ryan would never put his hands on my children and get away with it.

I didn't break my promises.

"You okay baby?" I asked with a shaky voice. I was beyond angry, waiting for the perfect moment for him to slip so I could pounce. You could almost see the lump in her throat as she swallowed, nodding slowly to me. Physically, she might have fight okay. Sore, sure. But emotionally? It was clear she was drained and no matter the outcome of this, she would be dealing with it for a while. "I'm gonna get you outta here Ry. I promise baby."

"All right, enough. Listen, where are my other two?" Ryan asked, his voice annoyed. I walked over to Rylan, holding her close to me. I quickly untied her hands and legs, noticing how raw the flesh on her left wrist looked. The cast on her right arm looked as if the plaster was beginning to scrape away. She had obviously tried to get herself untied, not realizing how much damage she was doing to herself. When I didn't reply, he spoke again. "Robbie and Stace. Where are they? I wanna get a plane out of here tonight. L.A always did disgust me."

My jaw clenched at his words. Sure, Los Angeles didn't have the lowest crime rate or the most fabulous mansions and pretty streets as Manhattan, but it was home. I grew up here and couldn't love any place more than Southern L.A. It was charming.

"I'm sorry to say we won't be joining you," I responded, feigning regret.

He chuckled out loud, like he knew something I didn't. Before he could speak, there was a loud knock on the door.

"Boss, we got a huge problem!" someone yelled on the other side.

Before Ryan could reply, gunfire began blazing throughout the club. Ryan jumped into action, yanking his gun out his pants and running out the door. I had the instinct to run for the door, but the loud noise it made afterward said that it locked automatically once closed.

Fuck. We were stuck.

I looked over at the girl still clutching to my arm, her body shaking nervously. I ran my hands over her hair, trying to soothe her fear. I hadn't seen her inhibitions so low before. Rylan was tough, always in control of every situation. To see her so out of her element and afraid made her look like a small child who was afraid of the dark. Her bottom lip quivered but she didn't cry. No matter the situation, one thing was for sure: Rylan Parker did not cry. If she did, the matter had to be pretty fucking serious to her.

"It's okay, sweetheart. We're gonna get out of this hell."

* * *

(No POV)

Jesse's Jetta pulled up to Little Saigon, which made Jesse's skin crawl. This wasn't his turf. This was forbidden territory. None of the Toretto clan were ever supposed to even _think_ about driving near this part of town. Jesse himself knew from experience just what happened if you defied the Trans. Even with Johnny dead and Lance murdered in prison years ago, it was still a touchy subject.

"Hey, why don't we try somewhere else? I don't feel comfortable being here," Jesse mumbled from the passenger seat, looking at the large statues that passed.

"How come? Jess we gotta. Toby said they'd be here," Cece replied, quickly jerking the Jetta to the left, drifting the tail-end up a ramp. It was dark out, but the garage bay doors were still open, a few cars parked inside. The occupants stepped out in front of Jesse's car, one armed with a bat.

"What do you want, punk?" the young kid asked, obviously knowing the bad blood between Jesse and his family.

"Is Neiko here? It's important," Turbo asked, stepping out of the Jetta.

They looked at him reluctantly, unsure of what to say. Finally, the only Tran in the group spoke up. "Nah man, we haven't seen him all day. He's been rollin' with that fool from your crew. Ever since that bitch pissed him off, he's been hanging with that guy. Shit's not lookin' good, brother," he spoke, worry evident in his voice. He knew just how pissed off Neiko was about what Rylan did to him, and he knew how Neiko got when someone embarrassed him. He was unstable, and everyone in his crew knew it.

"All right man, thanks," Turbo said, sliding back in the car. Cece hesitated for a moment, then opened her door, standing between the door and the car.

"Which one of you is Jack?" she asked the crew of young men. A shorter Asian stepped up, his dark eyes staring at her like she was a scrumptious fruit.

"What's up Sweet Thang?" he asked, giving her a toothy grin. She smiled sweetly, fingering him over to her. He swaggered over, hoping to get some play. He hadn't seen a girl that good looking in a while.

"What do you drive?" she asked seductively, knowing she was playing his game.

"Only the best Honda CR-X SI. Wanna take a ride?" Once he stood between her and the car door, she reached over and smacked the piss out of him. The whole gang of boys gasped, certainly taken aback by her violence. "The fuck was that for?"

"You trying to get your boy to play my best friend for a piece of shit Honda. She's better than that. If you wanna keep your legs to drive such a shitty car, you better show a little respect. Or I'll break them and beat you with 'em. Got that, _Sweet Thang_?" she smiled sweetly, cocking her head to the side. He rubbed his sore face, nodding painfully to her. "Good. Thanks boys."

And with that, they were quickly reversing out of the driveway, speeding down the street. Jesse looked at her like she was insane. He couldn't believe that she put that boy in his place. She caught him staring out the corner of her eye and smiled.

"Problem?" she asked.

"What the hell was that?" he said incredulously.

"Asshole tried to mess with my girl," she shrugged, shifting gears quickly.

They drove absently, trying to figure of different places Neiko could be. Just when we they were about to give up and call Dominic, Jesse's cell began to ring. The other two listened to his half of the conversation, unable to figure who it was or what it was about.

"That was Stacy. She just got off the phone with Leon and he said they were at a strip club called Parker's Palace. I know where it is, just follow my directions. Bust a U-turn," he ordered.

Twenty minutes and two head-on collision-misses later, they were pulling up in front of the club. Jesse noticed the Charger, Skyline, and the Firebird already parked on the curb. Jesse reached into a special compartment underneath the backseats and pulled out his gun. Dom required them to all keep a weapon in their car in case they were carjacked. He cocked back the hammer to make sure it was ready and looked over to Cece.

"I got a feeling if I tell you to stay here, you're gonna tell me to shove it."

Cece smiled proudly, "You know me so well Jess."

He rolled his eyes and the three exited the car, all creeping up to the dilapidated building. The building was completely silent. Jesse took a deep breath, pulling open the front doors. He figured whoever was here didn't think anyone would show up to an abandoned building, so they didn't bother with locking the doors. They stood at the entrance, noticing how dark it had been. They slowly walked into the place, making sure to keep low and out of sight. Jesse felt his heart nearly pounding out of his chest. He hated situations like this.

It was then that Jesse noticed how quiet it was. Almost too quiet.

"What the hell is going on?" he whispered as they continued down the hall. Just then, gunfire began to ring out, startling all them. "Get down!" he yelled as they dropped to the floor. He looked around, making sure the other two were okay. When his eyes landed on Cece, his heart stopped.

There she lay on her back, blood pouring out a hole in the center of her chest.


	39. Parker's Palace Pt2

**Thanks for the reviews. I know, cliffhangers suck! Hang in there with me people! Read and review!**

**Chapter 39**

As Dom, Leon, and Brick entered the club, they speedily but quietly walked down a long hallway. They had no time to waste. There was no way to tell who had the girls or what they were going to do, and Dom definitely didn't want to take the chance to find out. As they were coming to the end of the hall, Leon nudged Dom's arm, pointing to the entrance of the main entertainment floor.

Dominic peaked his head out the door, noticing two large men standing guard in front of a door that read 'Private'. He scanned the room speedily, watching two more standing at the far hall and another two only a a few feet from where they stood behind a wall.

"How we doing this D?" Leon asked, releasing the clip from his gun, checking to make sure it was loaded.

"You," Dom said, pointing to the guards closest to them. "Brick," he pointed to the ones at the far hall. "And me," he said, pointing to the guards near the door deemed Private. "Shoot to wound, not to kill. I don't need you guys in jail. On three, we're going for it."

The three men slipped on tight leather gloves to conceal fingerprints. Dom held up my fingers, taking a deep breath before he reached three. At that moment, they burst through the open, guns blazing. It was an all-out shootout. Leon easily took out his two guards, dropping them to the ground with screeches of pain. He moved to them, picking up their guns and tossing them out of reach. Brick moved easily through the room, dodging bullets from his assigned targets. For a big guy, he moved with the quickness and stealth of an assassin. He jumped over the bar counter to shield himself from bullets. Bottles smashed and crashed down to the ground near him. He peeked over the counter, pumping the shotgun and firing, hitting one in his thigh. He instantly dropped to one knee, then fell over, clutching his leg in pain. The other guard looked at his friend then back to Brick, dropping his gun immediately. He held his hands up in surrender. Dom crouched low as one of the guards disappeared down the hall behind him. Dominic flipped over a nearby table as the other guards began firing towards his head. His heart pounded as the table took the brunt of the attack. Dom stood momentarily, firing two shots and dropping back behind the table. He counted all the shots fired at him until he was sure the man was out of bullets. When he heard the man trying to reload, he stood again, pointing the gun at his head.

"Drop it or I'll blow your brains out," he said menacingly, his grip tight around the weapon.

The guard hesitated, trying to test Dom. When Dom cocked back the hammer, the man didn't waste time dropping the gun, kicking it away from him.

"Get down to your knees. Now!" Dom barked, the guard following his order. After doing a quick check to make sure Leon and Brick were alive, he finally allowed himself to breath more normal. He knew his blood pressure was definitely sky high. At that moment, the guard before returned, gun in his hand. Brian was behind him with two more guards and there was another man with them.

Dom didn't know him at all, but he instantly didn't like him. He was about the same height as Brian, but not nearly the build. He had light brown hair and piercing blue eyes that stared at Dom angrily. He was dressed in a business suit, but without the blazer. He carried a pistol in his hand like he was a professional. Dom knew it was all bullshit.

"Well, if it isn't Dominic Toretto. If I may so, I've been _dying_ to meet you," Ryan spoke, looking the Italian up and down. _He was a street-racing mechanic with a rap sheet, what the hell could Letty have seen in him?_, Ryan thought.

"Tell your men to drop their weapons or his brain is gonna be all over this floor," Dom threatened harshly.

"You think I care?" Just then, Ryan raised his gun, pointing it to the head of a henchman standing next to him. He pulled the trigger, dropping the big man's lifeless body to the floor. He turned to the guard on his opposite side, who held his hands up in surrender. It was his job to be fearless, ready to kill or be killed. But he looked truly frightened.

Before there was any other thought, Ryan pulled the trigger, blood splattering on a nearby wall.

"You think I care? They are expendable, just like everyone else. I can go out now and buy thirty more men just like him," Ryan's tone was despicable, as if he hated the world. Maybe he did. "Everyone who surrounds me is expendable. Even that pathetic excuse of a family. They can all be replaced."

"And just who are you, exactly?" Dom asked, a feeling in his gut saying that he already knew who this punk was: the guy who had put his hands on his girls.

"Ryan Parker, multimillionaire lawyer from New York. It seems you and I have something in common, Dominic," Ryan sauntered around the tension-filled room, wanting to mess with Dom. He knew about Dom's attitude, and he knew if he could get Dom pissed enough, he would assault him in someway. That meant jail-time for Dom and all his friends for a long time. Then he could take his family back to New York and get back to living their perfect lives.

"And what's that?" Dom asked, tilting his head a bit. The arrogance of this guy amused him.

"Power. We both like to have control. We like to have things going our way. And if we don't-" Ryan circled Dom, who still had his gun pointed to a downed guard. Dom tensed up, not liking the way this man surrounded him as if _he_ were prey. Dom was _never_ the prey, he made that known from the beginning. Dominic Toretto was the predator. Ryan stopped behind Dom, smirking down on his .45 Ruger. He pushed out the chamber, rolling it between his fingers before snapping it back into place. "We take matters into our own hands."

Dom kept his gun trained on the man below him, but watched Ryan over his shoulder. He didn't trust him standing so close in his personal space.

"Where are my girls?" Dom gravelly asked, wanting to get down to business. He was surprised the LAPD weren't busting in the place by now.

Before Ryan had a chance to reply, a voice called from behind them all.

"Dominic!" Dom perked up at the familiar voice, turning his body around. A bloody Jesse was standing at the opening of the party room, his body visibly shaken.

"Jess! What are you doing here man?" Dom asked, eye raking over Jess quickly. "Are you hurt? You hit?"

"No, it's not me. It's-it's Cece, man. She musta got hit with a stray bullet. She's bleeding a lot Dominic!" Jesse yelled, his emotions taking over.

Dom sprang into action, pushing past a confused Ryan and running to where Jesse stood. He ignored Turbo sniffling quietly in the corner and gathered the teenager into his arms, shaking her body to try to get her back to consciousness. The memory of a bloody Jesse lying on the sidewalk popped in Dom's brain; it still gave him nightmares 'til this day. Dom ran his bloody finger's through her fire-red hair and smiled, remembering their banter just earlier that day. Dom glanced at her wound and knew that if she didn't get to the hospital soon, she wouldn't make it. He couldn't have the death of his daughter's best friend on his conscience. Not because of his foolishness.

"Le!" the man instantly filled the door frame. "I need you to get her to the hospital. And step on it. Don't leave until the doc's give her the OK," Dom ordered, gently trading the girl for Leon's gun. He carried her limp body effortlessly out the building. Dom didn't speak to Jesse, but gave him a look that said to follow Leon. Jesse gathered the broken Turbo from the floor and helped him out the building.

Now, Dominic was angry. None of his Team was supposed to get hurt. He was their rock; they leaned on him for support and protection. He needed to protect them, even if they means risking his life or freedom.

Dom quickly reloaded his gun and made sure Leon's was ready. He stood quickly, sauntering over to an unsuspecting Ryan. Dom grabbed his arm, turning him around swiftly, planting a jab onto his beautiful face. Ryan hit the ground hard, blood immediately pouring from his lip. He wiped it off slowly onto his suit, smirking up at Dom.

"You just made the biggest mistake of your life Toretto," Ryan stumbled to his feet, pulling his cell phone from his pocket. He dialed three buttons, putting the phone to his ear. "My name is Ryan Parker, I'm a lawyer from New York. Dominic Toretto is trying to kill-" before he could speak anymore, Dom was tackling him to the ground. He began pounding every inch of Ryan he could get access to. He wanted him to feel as much pain as Letty and the children had.

Dom hadn't even noticed an all-out war breaking out around him. Brick had already shot and killed two of the guards. He hadn't intended on killing them, but with a shotgun, he didn't have much of a choice. Before Brick was able to reload his weapon, he noticed the guard nearest to Dom trying to get back to his feet. Brick ran over, placing a heavy combat boot in his face, flooring him once again. He grabbed the nearest gun, firing blindly in the direction of Brian and other last remaining guards. He easily wounded the henchmen, dropping them to the floor like the others. Brick stood toe to toe with Brian, both men pointing to the other's head. It was a stand-off neither wanted to lose.

"Brick, don't do it," Dom's hoarse voice barely registered in his head. Brick saw red. He saw the man who tried to take _his_ girl. Regardless of who Brian was to Denise before she came to L.A., he could tell by the distraught look she gave him when she was being forced out of the hospital room that Brian had hurt her. Sure, Brick and Denise had only known each other for a few weeks, but she had grown on him. In a much different light than Mia or Lisa. She called him by his government name, Braxton, and could care less about his car. She liked his muscles, but complimented him on his intelligence. She was everything he wanted in a woman, and more. "What'd I tell you? I need you guys outta jail. Go find the girls, I'll handle him." After giving Brian one last scowl, he turned, stepping over the badly beaten Ryan and continued down the hall.

"Well, well. Isn't this one ironic reunion?" Brian asked, his gun now trained on Dom's head. Dom knew he wouldn't be able to doge bullets, but he didn't care. Brian O'Connor had broken his family down. Not once, but twice. He wouldn't let that happen a third time. "I let you go all those years ago. Saved you from being put in the cage with the rest of the animals. And here we are, nearly twenty years later, faced with another dilemma."

"And what's that?" Dom asked with complete control. He wouldn't have O'Connor break his stride and have him arrested for assaulting an officer of the law. He already had to worry about the lawyer that lay in a pool of his own blood. Seriously wounded, but not dead. Dom had not killed anyone … yet.

"I see this going two ways," Brian said, smirking at Dom. "I could put this gun down, get my girl, and walk out the door as if I were never here. I'd drive back to New York and you could be the hero, coming to rescue your family," Brian's smile faltered as he looked at his pistol, as if it were the brightest thing in the room. "Or … I could pull this trigger and end you, saying it was all self-defense. That you and your goons came here and starting shooting like this was the fucking Wild Wild West. You would be going back to jail, for a very long time might I add. Parker would get his children back, and I'd get my girl and go back to New York."

Dominic watched Brian, unsure of where this volatile and brutal demeanor had manifested. Sure, he had seen Brian's anger flare up many times, but this was different. He seemed ruthless, cruel, dare he say it … bloodthirsty. Brian had never appeared so malevolent before. He was always seemed well-mannered and collected. This was clearly a different Brian.

One Dom wasn't going to know for very long.

It was then that Dom remembered those words he murmured to Letty only a few days ago.

_...I'll die before I let anyone wreck us..._

"I guess you better make a decision now," Dom taunted, tilting his head to the side a bit. He could tell how uneasy Brian had looked now. He didn't think Dom would want to test him now, especially with his freedom and life hanging on by a thread.

Ryan groaned as he fought his consciousness. He knew the amount of pain or blood loss couldn't have been good on his newly-repaired heart. He was in tremendous pain, but miraculously survived the barbarous beating from Dom. It was then that Ryan retrieved his Ruger from the floor, pointing with shaky hands to Dom's back. Firing haphazardly, he watched as one of the bullets tore into Dom's shoulder, causing the animal to grunt in protest to the pain. Dom's knees bucked and he lost his balance, falling to his knees quickly. Blood had seeped into Ryan's eyes, obstructing his vision, yet it didn't stop him from firing. Because he didn't see Dom already kneeled down, he didn't realize all his shots were entering Brian's chest. The cop fell to the ground with a satisfying 'thump' as Dom struggled to stand on his feet. When Ryan strained to reload his weapon, Dom sought this as the perfect opportunity to take control of the situation. He kicked the gun out of Ryan's hand and across the room, able to breathe now that he was unarmed. He gave him on more full-throttle punch to the face before a voice spoke from behind him.

"D, I found the girls but I can't get in the room. It needs some sort of code. And I can't find Denise," Brick's voice was low but panicked.

Dom lifted Ryan to his wobbly feet as the man gargled on his own blood.

"Okay, you're gonna help us get our girls. No bullshit, or I'll snap your neck. Understand?" Dom asked the almost lifeless man. Ryan nodded slightly, trying to find the legs beneath him.

As Dom turned to follow Brick, the sound of distant sirens filled the air. They were running out of time before the cops got there and started jumping to conclusions. He needed to find the girls, and fast.

Brick waited for Dom to drag Ryan his direction. He pointed to the door with the lock and knocked, waiting for the reply he got before. Dom noticed it was the same door labeled 'private'.

"Letty!" Dom yelled through the steel door, praying to the Heaven's that his family was okay.

"We're okay Dom. But Rylan needs to get to a doctor, they messed her up pretty bad," Letty replied, her voice concerned.

For her reply, Dominic rewarded Ryan with another painful blow to the face. Before he could hit him again, Brick's paw wrapped around Dom's wrist, stopping him. Dom gave him an incredulous look, but Brick ignored him and turned to the lawyer.

"Where's Denise?" If Dom's attacks were nearly lethal, Ryan could only imagine the damage that Brick could do. Not wanting to face that reality, he pointed to the last door at the end of the hallway. Brick jogged down the hall, twisting the knob to get it to open. When it didn't, he silently thanked God that the door was wood. He took a step back, then lunged forward, kicking the door open and in half, splinters of wood crashing onto the floor. He saw Denise sitting in a corner of the room, visibly frightened. Without words, he placed his arms under her knees and her back and carried her out of the room.

Back at the Private room, Dom was having trouble getting Ryan to stay conscious to get the door open.

"Letty, do you know how many numbers are in the code?" Dom yelled through the door.

"Only four. He made me turn around so I don't know what they could be."

Dom slapped Ryan's face gently, trying to get him to stay awake. "If you don't give me this code, I will leave you here to die on this floor. Help me get them out, I'll call you an ambulance."

Dom's words didn't register in Ryan until he heard the word 'ambulance'. He knew he needed to be looked at soon; he was positive he was losing a lot of blood.

His throat was scratchy and it burned, but he fought to open his mouth. When he did, it revealed three missing teeth. "5-4-7-5," he muttered, his blood splattering on Dom's jacket. Dom repeated the combination out loud as he punched it in, a satisfying 'click' disclosing the unlocking of the door. He pushed the door open quickly, dropping Ryan's body to the ground. His anger dissipated at the sight of his daughter stirring in Letty's arms, her face bruised and battered. His heart ached seeing the tough and witty teen (with enough mental walls to keep out the U.S. Army) so broken and scared. He ran over to her quickly, placing his large paw to her cheek, being careful not to further cause her any pain. He quickly assessed Letty, who looked to be physically fine.

"You okay? He hurt you?" he questioned, unsure if he wanted to know the answer. He was two seconds away from beating the little bit of life Ryan had left out of him. With a quick nod, Letty stood to her feet.

Dom turned to Rylan, putting his fingers under her chin, bringing her gaze into his. He could see the pain and humiliation she felt. He knew she felt broken, like she couldn't keep it together for every around her. That someone had hurt her and she had finally let it show.

"It's okay baby-girl. I know you did the best you could. Let's get you out of here, okay? Can I carry you?" the request was almost whispered, Dom anxious of her answer. He knew she had too much pride for anyone to think she was incapable of keeping herself up.

"Please?" her answer was more of a beg, and Dom needed no more incentive to carry her like a small child in his arms.

"Brick, let's go!" Dom barked as he marched slowly out of the hallway. He was physically drained and wanted the day to be over with. The sirens were a lot louder, which meant they were a lot closer. Dom was too exhausted to care at this point.

He needed a beer. Or two.

"Dad, you're bleeding," Rylan's voice was quiet but firm. He looked at her, noticing there was blood on her hands. Upon finding his girls, it had slipped his mind about his battle-wound.

"I'm okay. I want you to close your eyes okay. Don't open them until I tell you too," No matter how tough she was, Dom knew seeing a dead body could screw someone up for life. He didn't want to subject her to that fate. She nodded and closed her eyes, laying her head on his chest. He silently gave thanks that she didn't object.

Dominic allowed Letty to walk ahead of him so he could keep his eye on her. She voiced her disgust at the wreckage that was Parker's Palace. Broken bottles, overturned tables and chairs, and bullet holes that decorated every surface made the establishment mimic something of a mafia movie. Dom stepped over bodies, some barely breathing, some not at all. He had made it to the hallway near the exit when Brick's voice called out to Rylan.

"Baby Toretto, how'd you get here?" he asked curiously.

She didn't remove her head from Dom's chest, but spoke as loud as her sore throat would allow. "I was kidnapped off the side of the road with Turbo. It was those idiots Neiko and Reese."

Dom stopped in his tracks, his body tensing. He hadn't seen either of the men mentioned during the huge show-down. He carried Rylan outside of the building, the darkness of the night bringing along a chilling breeze. If he would have guessed, Dom figured it was around three in the morning. Dom quickly took off his jacket, placing it around Rylan's arms.

"Stay with her," he said to Letty, sitting Rylan down gently on a stoop near the building. He waited for Brick to discard Denise the same way and the two jogged back into the building. Stopping at Brian's body, Dom rolled him over, yanking both pairs of handcuffs from his belt. "Beat down the doors," he instructed, starting with the first door in the hallway. Brick started on the opposite end where he found Denise.

Dom burst through the first door, finding it full of mirrors, chairs, and make-up cases. He guessed it to be the stripper's dressing room. He moved on to the next door, finding it relatively empty as well. It wasn't until he reached the third door when he heard Brick's sarcastic cackle.

"Guess who I found?" Dom walked quickly, eyebrow quirked at Brick's tone. What could be funny now?

When Dom appeared in front of the door, he couldn't help but chuckle himself. Neiko was perched quietly under a desk, unaware that he was clearly visible from the doorway. Dom's eyes scanned the rest of the room, guessing that Reese had to be in the closet at the back of the room. Sauntering over with a smirk, he yanked the door open, revealing Reese standing there.

He quickly lifted his gun in the air, pointing it at Dom's head.

Dom couldn't stop the laughter.

"You think this is the first time I've had a gun to my head today?" he asked sarcastically, looking back to Brick, who smiled in pure amusement, dragging Neiko from under the table by the hair. Without looking, Dom kicked the door shut, smashing Reese's arm between the wood and the frame. He yelped in pain, the gun falling to the floor instantly as the force nearly took his arm off. Dom opened the door quickly, yanking Reese by the collar out of the closet, giving him a well-placed headbutt for his attempt."Cuff him," Dom tossed Brick a pair of cuffs and shoved Reese against the wall, forcing his arms around his back roughly.

"You seem professional at this, Toretto," Reese teased as the cuffs were placed around his wrist rather tightly.

"I thought I told you to stay away from my family?" Dom asked, ignoring his previous statement.

"What can I say, I'm a glutton for punishment," Reese shrugged sardonically. Dom pushed Reese to Brick, who handled both men easily. Dom walked back to the main room, noticing how Ryan had managed to push himself up against a wall.

"How you holdin' up?" Dom kneeled in front of him. As much as he hated him, he couldn't help but think of what landed him in Lompoc in the first place: Kenny Linder. He had nearly beaten that man to death without thinking rationally. He had been angry, infuriated with the man who killed his father. And his anger was what took him away from his family for two years.

_You took Linder away from racing._

_You put him in a coma._

_You took him away from his family because of your temper._

"I need a drink," his dry humor brought Dom out of his thoughts. It was clear the man had problems, issues with his masculinity and felt he had to prove it with violence. Dom knew killing him would only land him the rest of his life in jail. And he wouldn't risk that now that he had his family back.

"All right, up we go," Dom pulled the man up, tossing Ryan's arm over his shoulder as Dom tucked his arm around his waist.

The two men limped out of the building, unaware of the crowd that had grown outside.

They were a sight to see; two broken and bloody men holding each other up outside a gentleman's club, all the while L.A.'s finest were locked and loaded, ready to empty clips into their chests. The area was surrounded by cops, some from S.W.A.T, some local. Medical units were parked on the curb making it easier to get to their victims. Dom could see Letty and Doc being tended to by some EMT's, much against Letty's will.

"Dad!" Dom heard the shriek before he saw Rylan running over to him. He let go of Ryan's body to catch her, but when she changed courses, his couldn't help his fists from clenching. Before he knew it, Rylan was launching a bone-crushing hit to Ryan's fast, the hard brunt of the cast dropping the man to the ground.

"That's enough," Dom barked, scooping his daughter into his arms. She was yelling profanities at the helpless man as Dom carried her off to a waiting ambulance. "Let them help you. I'll be right behind you," he whispered in her ear, which seemed to relax her. Letty climbed in the back of the truck after her.

"Sir, we're gonna need to take you downtown," Dom nodded at the officer as he watched the ambulance peel off.


	40. Injuries

**Thanks for the reviews! Sorry about the wait, between this chapter and the last one, I moved to Georgia, and I was deathly ill with the flu. Not to mention writer's block is kicking my ass. Read and review.**

**Chapter 40**

(Rylan)

It took a while, but I managed to open my eyes, well at least one of them. I instantly regretted it and squeezed it shut again. The lights above me were nearly blinding; that and the familiar sterile smell made me realize where I was. I wanted to sit up, to fight every person keeping me here and get the hell out. But I didn't have any energy to move. This was the calmest I've felt in months, maybe years. I didn't want to ruin it by trying to assess my current situation.

"What are you gonna do about Ryan? This shit's not just gonna go away, you know," Leon said to someone.

"I know. We'll deal with it when it comes too. I'm more worried about Cece. She shouldn't have been drug into this shit," my mom's voice replied. My senses perked up at the mention of my friend. What exactly had she been drug into? I needed to get up. I had to find her.

I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in my stomach kept me from moving. I took a deep breath, then wedged my eye open furiously. Thankfully I didn't have to open my mouth to get someone to notice me. My throat felt like hell.

"Doc, she's awake!" I recognized Toby's voice before I saw his face. I wanted to smile at him being there, but something in my mouth prevented that motion. I lifted my hand to feel for whatever the obstruction was, but was stopped by a deep chuckle.

"Easy there, kiddo. I want you to relax and take a deep breath, and I'll get rid of this tube." I did as I was told, trying to keep my composure as the long, plastic tube was pulled quickly out of my throat. I coughed a few times to get rid of the itchy feeling and was thankful when he handed me a glass of water. I gulped it down within seconds, ready for my refill. He laughed and handed me the now full cup, watching as I consumed it just as fast. I handed it back to him for round three, but he cut me off. "Slow down there, Sparky. Give yourself some time. How are you feeling?"

"Like shit," I said simply, my voice even more raspy than before.

"Watch your mouth," My mom appeared next to me, a small curling on my lips. She ran her hands over my hair, the affectionate touch calming me. "Oh, mija. Look at you. Look what I got you into," she whispered, her eyes watering as she gazed over my face. I could only imagine what I looked like.

"Stop it, Ma. You didn't do this, he did. It's over now."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need to get some information from her," the doctor said to my mother, who nodded and stepped away. "I need you to flex your wrist and tell me how it feels."

I lifted my arm, happy to finally see the cast gone. I wiggled my knuckles to indicate that they were healed too. I looked over at my other arm and frowned, noticing that it was now bandaged.

"Please tell me I don't need another cast," I said wishfully.

"Not this time. But the rope you were tied up with did some pretty good damage to the skin and surrounding tissue. It's basically just a bad scrape that got infected. It'll have to be bandaged for a while until it heals up, just make such to keep some antiseptic on it. As for your other injuries," he paused, sighing as he looked over his notes, "You got a handful of bumps and bruises, but the nastiest is your eye injury. You have suffered a fracture to the floor of your orbital bone near your left eye that's going to take a bit of time to heal. It's not bad enough to require surgery, but you will need to take very cautious care of it. The edema and swelling will go down after a few weeks of healing. We'll get you on some meds for the pain and get you in here for a check up in about two weeks to see how it's doing. We're gonna keep the bandage over it until the swelling goes down a bit."

"Shit, that's all?" Leon quipped after the doctor finally finished.

"Can I leave today?" I begged, but could already tell by the look in his eyes that I was stuck here. "Please Doc? I have to check on my friend Cece. And my brothers and sister. Please, I can't stand to be here another second."

The doctor contemplated my whining, and it was obvious he didn't want to deal with it for another second. "I'll make you a deal; you stay here for a few more hours and rest. Then we'll spring you around noon? It's already six in the morning."

"How long have I been out of it?" I turned to my mother.

"You passed out after you got in the ambulance. The EMT's said your body was in distress and it was automatic reaction for you to shut down. How much sleep have you been getting, Kid?"

I ran my hand through my tangled hair, "Not enough. Where's Cece? And Dad?"

Leon sighed heavily in the corner of the room, which caught my attention. "She got hit by a stray bullet."

At his words, the little hope that seemed to be creeping back into my world vanished. The only true friend that I've had all my life was hurt, and I wasn't there to protect her.

"Where is she?" my hoarse voice croaked out the words. I sat tensed, waiting for the words I knew were coming.

She was gone.

"You mean," the doctor paused, "Cecelia Swanson?Ah, she's fine. She's freshly sprung out of surgery. She got lucky. The bullet that hit her must have gone through a wooden platform first, because only a fragment of the shell entered her chest. There were a few wood splints that were also impaled in the wound, but the surgeon believes she's in the all-clear. It missed all the vital organs and in a few days, she should be up and out of here."

I breathed a sigh of relief at the news. Cece would be fine. I didn't have to contact her dad about the death of his only daughter after all.

Shit. Mr. Swanson.

"Has her father been contacted yet?" I asked.

"The young man," he flipped a page in his notes, "Jesse, he called her father and had all her information shipped down for surgery. He says he's flying down in the morning to sit in with her."

"Can I go see her? She needs me. It's all my fault she's here."

"How about you wait until noon, then you're free to do whatever. Until then, you need to rest. You are dehydrated and need to give your body some time to reboot."

The doctor took some more information down and quickly left the room, the tension and pain thick in the small area. My family had suffered enough, and I was thankful that it was all finally over. I sighed, unable to resist the doctor's orders to rest. Everyone was accounted for, all except my dad.

"Where's Dom?" I asked my mother, who had pulled up a chair next to my bed.

"He's still downtown. He called a while ago, but you were out of it. He said he'd be here as soon as he can," I nodded at her words. "Get some rest."

I thought back to the club, to Dom carrying me like a baby to safety. He had been bleeding, but he wasn't worried. He was concerned about me. It was the moment that he came barreling in the room that held my mother and I captive that I had forgiven him. I forgave Dominic for all those years of his absence; for hurting my mother; for everything. He came to my rescue, and for that, I owed him my life. I could start by being his daughter and not acting like someone pissed in my Wheaties every day. It was obvious Dom and Letty were still in love with each other, and had no intentions of slowing down. He was willing to share his life with us, but only if we were able to meet him half way.

I would soon have to get used to the concept of having a loving, caring, nurturing father.

"T, come on man," I whispered, patting the area next to me in bed. He looked around the room for approval, and after my mother gave him a firm nod, he crawled into the tiny twin-size hospital bed next to me. His arm instantly went around my shoulders, pulling me closer to his warm body. I nuzzled into his chest, noticing the smell of sweat and dirt on him. It reminded me of when I was initially kidnapped, Reese pistol-whipped poor Turbo in the back of the head.

"How's your head?" I asked, noticing the dust and dirt lining the side of his face. Absentmindedly, I licked my thumb, wiping clear any grime left behind. After realizing what I had just done, I looked away shyly. His fingers were cold against my chin as he turned my eyes to his. He had a bright smile on, then grimaced, grabbing his head.

"I guess not so great," he chuckled. "I'll sleep it off."

* * *

(Dom)

After being cuffed and taken down to the police station with Brick, we were pushed into a small cage for twenty minutes. We waited for a guy Brick said he knew from college, a lawyer named Brandon Stevens, to come and gather information for a pending case. He seemed like a down-to-earth guy, who wanted to protect his clients and get justice, regardless of the situation. He even offered to represent Letty if she decided to pursue domestic abuse charges, free of charge. He had some old grudge with Ryan Parker that I had no care for. After some intense questioning and badgering by the wonderful LAPD, Brandon informed us that they couldn't get us on any charges but being in possession of an illegal weapon, and even then he could get a 'self-defense' verdict. For now, all I could do was go home and take care of my family. To nurse my girl and my daughter back to full health, whatever it takes.

After calling Letty and letting her know the status of the case, we sat on the curb of the police station waiting for Jesse to retrieve the kids from Brick's, then stop to pick us up. We would have to pick our own cars from Parker's Palace in a few hours. I looked over at Brick, who had his head in his hands. Despite the situation being nearly over, he still seemed in distress.

"Hey man, what were you in college for? What'd you wanna do before you showed up here?" I asked, curious of the life Brick had before the Team.

Brick looked up, his gaze staring off into the sunrise. I hadn't realized how late we had been in the police station until now. "Same thing as Brandon, I wanted to be a lawyer. I dunno, nobody in my family really did anything productive. Figured I'd give it a shot."

"So why'd you quit?"

"Well a year later I discovered this street shit. Those two career choices didn't exactly coincide with each other. Fell in love with speeding my car a lot more than bullshitting people as a career."

I laughed, knowing just what the racing bug could do to a person's life. I turned down a basketball scholarship for my car; Vince turned down his music career for the Team; Jesse turned down college for engines. There was no denying that this whole family loved what they did, but maybe different career choices would've saved us a helluva lot of trouble we've been in. Then again, we probably wouldn't be as close as we are now if it wasn't for cars.

"Well I'm glad you're here. I couldn't have done this without you bro."

Brick smiled, bumping fists with me. "Hey, if it was up to me, I would've left you out on the street that day you showed up. But if they let you back for a reason, then you can't be all that bad."

I chuckled, punching his arm as we stood, just as Jesse's car pulled up. Before I could get the door open, Stacy jumped out of the back, flying into my arms. I stumbled a bit, but caught her effortlessly. She wrapped her arms are my neck tightly, and I held her back, running my fingers through her blond hair. I didn't know she liked me at all, considering she spent most of her time with Mia and Lisa. But I didn't mind the affection, she was my other daughter.

"Thank you for saving them Dad," she whispered in my ear, which instantly warmed my heart. I could feel her tears dripping down my neck with her face nuzzled so close.

"Don't thank me. I would do anything for you guys. You're my family," I replied, sitting her down on the ground. She looked up at her, her big blue pools smearing her makeup down her face. I cupped her face, wiping the tears away.

"I'm your daughter?" she asked, sounding much like a small, insecure child.

I chuckled lowly, "Of course you are, Stace. When Letty showed up, she didn't just bring Rylan; she brought me another daughter and son. I don't turn my back on my family, kid. You'll learn that here."

She smiled brightly, seemingly satisfied with that answer. The children piled in the back, along with Brick (Robbie had to lap with Stacy in order to fit them all) and we drove back to the hospital. The drive over was quiet, and Jesse's nervous vibe wasn't making the atmosphere any better.

"You okay Kid?" I asked him quietly, the sounds of the speeding roads beneath us masking my voice. Jesse eyed me with his peripherals, his twitching pausing for a second. After noticing that I had spoken, his eyes returned to the road, the tapping of his fingers against the steering wheel continuing.

"I'm tired of the drama, Dom. I haven't been able to fucking relax since we got back."

The strain in his voice was evident, and it made my heart hurt. I hadn't been able to stop and realize just the affect of all this bullshit on the rest of the Team.

"I'm sorry man. Trust me, all of this is over. We can finally go back to being a family. And if you want to go back to New York, I'm gonna support you. Ain't no reason you should be here working in the garage for the rest of your life. Go out and live kid. You're still young."

Jesse contemplated the offer of a fresh start, but without hesitation he spoke, "I'm not going anywhere. I wanna be where my family is. Sure, once I start saving up again, I'll move out. Maybe find me a woman and have a couple kids. Ya know, live a normal life."

We shared a laugh at the thought; Team Toretto going on the straight and narrow? The chances of us ever having a life remotely simple were slim to none, but maybe that was a sign. Maybe God put together this dysfunctional group of characters because we fit. Even though we were raised under different parenting and harsh situations, we grew up together and became a true family. Sure, it was make-shift and nontraditional, but we had loyalty and love; the two things each and every one of us vied for.

**-X-**

Just as we were making it up to the recovery unit of the hospital, Leon and Denise were walking out of the elevators, cups and bags in hand. Denise instantly ran to Brick, the two lovers being reunited again. The Doc looked visibly shaken, but unharmed. Leon and I shared an embrace, which made me thankful that he wasn't in handcuffs by now. Showing up with a bleeding teen could cause chaos in a hospital.

"How's Cece?" I asked, hoping that the girl with the fire-red hair had made it through. It was her first day in L.A.; I would loathe myself for life if she didn't pull through.

"Doc says she should be okay in about a week. If she hadn't been standing behind that door way, Kid would've been a goner. Kid's fighter."

I let out deep sigh, silently thanking God for Cece's luck. We moved the congregation into Rylan's room, where I was hit with sense of peace; something I hadn't felt in days. Letty was sitting in a chair near the bed, her feet kicked up and head back. It was clear by the way her muscles tensed that she was far from relaxed, which explained the coffee and food Leon was carrying. Rylan was lying in the bed, not alone like I had been expecting. It took every muscle in my being to not Hulk out on Turbo, who had his arm draped over my daughter's body. Her face was still bruised and battered much like I had seen her just hours ago, but she looked to be in better health than before. Her right wrist was now wrapped, rather than her left. Her left eye was bandaged, which reminded me of how horrible bloody and discolored it looked when I rescued her.

Letty looked up as the door opened, running over to me and jumping in my arms.

"God, I'm so glad you're okay. What happened? What'd they say?" she fired off questions faster than I could think of answer. I put my hands on her shoulders and kissed her lips softly. She let out a huff of air, meaning she was a couple notches relaxed.

"We got a good lawyer and everything's gonna be fine," I reached into my pocket, giving her a piece of paper. "This is his number. He says he'd represent you free of charge if you wanna go on with domestic abuse charges. He's got a hard on for taking down Parker. He's a good guy, you should think about it."

I could see the wheels turning as she twirled the paper in her fingers. "I'll think about it."

"Mommy, what's wrong with Rylan?" Robbie's soft voice called from the side of her bed. I looked at Letty, ready for her answer as well.

"She's got some bruises baby, she's okay. Jess, why don't you take these two up to see Mia and V? Let them know everything's okay."

"I'll go with you, man," Leon offered, sitting the coffee down. "Lisa's probably worried sick up there."

After the room cleared out, I flopped down in the small chair, just happy to be off my feet. The sun was starting to rise, and the bright rays didn't help that fact that I wanted to rest. Letty sat on my lap, running her fingernails over my scalp. The intense sparks that traveled down my body could only be caused by Letty's touch.

"She has a bad infection on the rope burn on her wrist, and a lot of bruises. Her worst injury is the fracture to her left orbital bone. She doesn't need surgery, just some TLC. What about you, how are you feeling?" she asked, rubbing her soft, but calloused hands down my face. I was in such a trance that I could feel a blackness creeping into my consciousness. "Dom," I could feel her tapping her hands against my face to wake me, but I was already too far gone. "Dominic!" Her screams were becoming panicked-laced, and I wanted to assure her that I was fine, just very sleepy. I felt her remove herself from my lap, which soured my mood; she was keeping me warm. "Denise, he's bleeding." I tried to wake up, curious as to who 'he' was and why he was bleeding. I could feel my jacket being taken down my arms, but I didn't protest.

"Shit. He's been shot," Doc's voice was alert, and was followed up by an immense pain shooting through my shoulder. I was more than alert and awake now, wondering why the hell Denise was shoving her finger into my shoulder. I shoved her back a bit.

"Listen Dom, you're losing blood. I'm surprised you've gone this long without looking at a doctor," she gruffed at me.

"He's a tough ass about everything," a voice called from behind me. I turned to see both Rylan and Turbo watching me, seemingly happy about my current torture.

"Shut up Mutt," I grumbled over my shoulder at her. "Warn me next time, Doc."

"The bullet is lodged in there. I can see it, which means I can pull it out, stitch you up and give you pain pills without having the other doc's questioning you."

"Sounds good Doc. Say, I don't need to be awake for this do I?" It was unorthodox, but I needed rest. And I was scared shitless too.

She smirked and placed a hand on my shoulder, "It'll take fifteen minutes tops Dom. Then I'll get another bed in here for you. Sit tight while I get my kit."

"You got a real psycho on your hands B," I said to Brick as Doc stepped out the room. Brick laughed, taking a seat in the only other available chair.

"And you don't?" he retorted, kicking his feet up on the bed railing, only to have them knocked off by Rylan.

"Watch it B," Letty quipped, taking her spot back on my lap.

"How you holdin' up Dom?" Turbo asked. He seemed to have his wits about him, the previous fear seemingly absent.

"I'm gonna be a lot better if when I turn around your hands aren't groping my daughter," I mumbled, rubbing my sore neck.

"Trust me Dad, there will be no groping until I'm thirty," Rylan replied.

I reached my sore arm back, bumping knuckles with her. "The greatest words a dad wants to hear. That's my girl."


	41. Trouble Maker

**Thanks for the reviews. This one is just a filler, but the next chapter will be the final one. There will be a two-part epilogue following so there's still plenty more reading and reviewing to do!**

**Chapter 41**

(No POV)

It was 9:30 AM when Rylan stirred awake again. Thankfully, this time, the room was silent. Dom was lying on another bed topless, his shoulder wrapped tightly. Letty was curled up in his arms, both sleeping soundly. Rylan peered up at Turbo, who was probably the most silent sleeper she had ever met. She had to feel for a pulse just to make sure he was alive. Still, even with her fingers pressed to his throat, he didn't budge. She couldn't fight the smile.

Rylan wondered where the rest of her family was, but then remembered Dom sending the children, Stacy, and Brick and Denise home to rest. Jesse had left with Leon and Lisa. After noticing that she was practically alone, she decided to take a walk. She stretched her long legs, thankful that she was getting feeling back into them. Rylan disengaged the railing on her side, swinging her legs over the edge. She rubbed at her blurry eye, already frustrated with her injured one. _How the fuck am I supposed to see with one eye? I feel like a fuckin' pirate!,_ she thought of the hindrance.

Spotting a wheelchair she assumed was in all of the recovery rooms, Rylan could feel a sense of deviousness creeping in her system. She held onto her hospital gown from behind and with a wicked smile, Rylan staggered slowly over to the wheelchair, flopping down in it. She gave Dom a ten second stare to make sure he wouldn't wake, all the while cracking the door open. When she realized he was out like a light, she pushed the door open wider, wheeling out just before it shut again.

The hospital was in full swing, doctors and nurses running wild all over the floor. People were so occupied with work and patients, Rylan made it around the halls without so much as a second glance. After coming to the conclusion that Cece would probably still be in the Intensive Care Unit, she rolled down the hall to the elevator. After making it to the floor, she rolled to the clerk's desk, hoping to get some information about her friend.

"Miss?" Rylan called, the younger lady turning to her with a bright smile.

"Why do I get the feeling you didn't have permission to leave your room?" she asked, a smirk on her face.

"What can I say? I like trouble," Rylan replied, shrugging. "I'm actually looking for my best friend, Cecelia Swanson. She got shot on account of me and I need to see her."

The clerk looked her skeptically, unsure if she should give her access. It was against protocol to let anyone into the ICU area without permission; especially another patient. But Rylan was convincing, and the clerk knew she wouldn't leave until she saw her friend, regardless of protocol.

"What do you mean on account of you? You do it?"

"God no! My family got into some trouble and I was kidnapped. She tried to help rescue me but got shot. Please, can I see her? I need to let her know that I'm sorry," Rylan couldn't control the massive amount of guilt she felt for her friend's condition. But she knew Cece; she wasn't the type to sit around and wait for shit to happen. She would get up and make things happen herself.

After a few more moments of hesitation and deep thinking, the clerk turned to her computer, looking up the file for Cece.

"Down the hall, room 316. You get caught, you're on your own, kid," the clerk whispered, resuming her work.

Rylan smiled and quickly wheeled herself to Cecelia's room. She looked through the glass, watching as her friend sat flicking through the television channels. She was sitting up, gnawing on her bottom lip, furiously pressing the buttons on the remote. Rylan shook her head with a smile. Knocking softly, Rylan pushed the door open timidly.

"Say, doctor, how the hell do you get this thing to work?" Cece asked, not realizing who had just entered her room.

"How about pressing the button, dipshit?" Cece looked over quickly, not expecting such a rude reply from a professional. When she saw who it was, she beamed a bright smile for her friend.

"God, look at you," Cece whispered, looking at the chair that her friend was confined to.

"Chill out, I stole this. My legs are fine … to an extent," she mumbled. "Nah, I'm okay though. Got a bad burn and my eye's busted up, but I'm good. What about you? Heard you took a nasty shot."

She sighed, her hand coming up to her wound, her fingers tracing the wrap. "Yeah. It's gonna leave a gnarly scar though. War story I can tell my grandchildren," she joked, both girls sharing a laugh.

After a few moments, the room went silent. It was a companionable one, with the exception of Cece still trying to get the TV to work for her, and Rylan trying desperately to pop a wheely in the chair. To Rylan, this was just like old times back in NY; hanging out with nothing to do, but enjoying the company anyways. She knew it wouldn't be long before someone came looking for her, but she didn't care. Cecelia had been her best friend since fourth grade and they vowed to be there for each other for life; Rylan wasn't breaking that promise.

"You think your dad will freak?" Rylan asked. She could tell by the way Cece's eyes shifted, her father was her biggest worry.

"I'm not sure. It's not like I shot myself," she tried to joke, but her smile didn't reach her eyes.

As if on cue, the door to the room opened, a tall woman entering. Behind her was the tall, built man who had a been a better father figure to Rylan than anyone else. The man had short brown hair that grayed near the edges, and salt-and-pepper beard to match. He was still dressed in his garage attire with a filthy Chevy cap on; one that Rylan loved.

"Who let you in here?" the nurse asked, her words harsh at Rylan, "Come on. You have to go back to your room."

"No, she's all right," Mr. Swanson waived her off.

"No, sir, you don't understand-" the nurse tried to reason, but Keith interrupted her.

"I don't think you understand," Keith turned to her. He wasn't a violent man by any means, but his 6'3", 350 pound frame was intimidating, and he used it to his advantage. "This girl is one of mine. She stays."

Without another word spoken, the nurse quickly exited the room, leaving the three to their own vices.

The room fell silent again, minus the low buzzing from the scrambled television channel. Rylan kept her eyes on Cece, who appeared to find the tile on the floor more interesting. Mr. Swanson moved over to Cece's bed, his gaze taking in all of his daughter. No doubt, he was happy that she was alive and well, but he couldn't help wondering if letting her fly down was a mistake.

"Rylan, why is it that the night I lose my new employee, Cece tells me that your family skipped town? What's your connection with Jesse?" Keith inquired, getting straight to business. He was never one to beat around the bush when it came to Cece. After her mother ran off after she was born, Cecelia was all Keith had left, and he had been overprotective ever since.

"He used to roll with my mom in a street racing team here. That night I got tired of my dad hitting my mom, so I stepped up. Jesse helped drive us down to California where the rest of my family lived. They were notorious for breaking rules and breaking the law. But what happened to Cece wasn't our fault. Ryan went psycho and kidnapped me and mom. Cece went with Jesse to try to rescue me. My real dad was there with his friends and a shootout happened. She got hit by a stray bullet. I'm sorry Mr. Swanson," Rylan replied, hanging her head in disappointment.

"Okay," was his response a few seconds later. "Questionable, but I have no reason not to believe you. You two never could stay out of trouble."

Rylan smiled up at Cece, who let out a deep sigh, her eyes closing in relief.

"So can she still stay?"

"Yeah, but if anything else happens, you better be on the first damn flight _back_ home. Got it?" Keith asked, authority in his tone.

"Of course Daddy," Cece smirked, kissing her father's cheek.

**-X-**

After a little more than an hour of hanging out with Cece and Mr. Swanson, Rylan figured she had better get back up to her room before Dom sent a search party out for her. She promised her friend that once she was released that she would be back down to see her. Just as before, Rylan was able to slip back down the halls and onto the elevators before anyone could spot her. Just as she was rolling down her designated hall, the door to her room opened, revealing a panicked-looking Letty. She leaned back against the door, hand clutched to her heart now that she knew where Rylan was.

"Rylan Tyler! God damnit you scared me," Letty whispered, rubbing her hands down her face.

Rylan smiled, "Is Dad awake?"

"No, and you're lucky. If it was him to wake and find you gone and not me, he'd be tearing this hospital apart," Letty replied. "How's Cece doing?"

"She's fine. Her dad's down there with her," Rylan wheeled over to the window, peaking in at her father and Turbo. Letty came to stand next to her, taking in the sights as well. "Mom, I really like him."

Letty looked down at Rylan in surprise, "Really? I figured you went for the bad boys."

Rylan scoffed up at her mom, "Not T. I'm talking about Dad," Letty made an 'Oh' face that said she understood. "I'm gonna try to not be a bitch, just as long as he doesn't try to rule me with an iron fist. I hate authority."

Letty smiled down at her mini-me, "I know, trust me. Rylan, promise me you'll give him a chance. He's a good guy, so don't be so brutal on him."

"Mom, I just said I would. Weren't you listening?"

Letty smirked at Rylan, "I'm not talking about your Papi."

* * *

Two weeks later, a lot of things had changed. All charges against Dominic and Brick were dropped. The LAPD didn't want to waste taxpayer's money searching for ways to put the two behind bars when everyone knew the situation at hand; they were rescuing their kidnapped loved-ones. No reason they should be punished for it. Instead, Ryan, Reese, and Neiko were charged with three counts of kidnapping and assault. During the investigation of the club, it had come about that Ryan had been apart of a money laundering scam with the building managers, who happened to be one of his previous clients in New York. This news was new to Letty, but nothing about her soon-to-be ex-husband surprised her anymore. All the attention was off the boys now. They didn't need a lawyer after all, but Letty did.

Her divorce lawyer flew out to L.A and met up with Brandon Stevens, the criminal justice lawyer who would be representing her in one of the most talked about cases in years; Ryan Parker, criminal prosecutor extraordinaire, accused of domestic abuse on his wife, sexual assault on a minor for Stacy, and now fraud. There was no way he would be able to avoid jail-time, and that satisfied Letty enough. Not to mention all of the things she would be getting out of their divorce settlement. As an agreement for reparation, she would get the house and the Mercedes Benz, his vacation home in Miami, and the children, with supervised visitations with Robbie. Letty made the immediate decision to sell the New York house, associating it with too many bad memories.

As for Rylan, she healed quicker than everyone thought. She was still wearing a bandage on her wrist, but the burns were healed. Though she would be scarred for life, she was just happy she didn't need another cast. Her body was still sore from the continuous beatings she endured, but she was healing nicely. The swelling on her eye went down immensely, leaving her with a deep black bruise around her eye. Because she knew how clumsy she was, she continued to keep it bandaged. Cece had a set back with an infection in her wound, but doctors took care of it quickly, preventing anymore hospital time. Sure, should would probably be stuck with chest pains for the rest of her life, but she looked at it as a gnarly reminder of her bravery. The two had become inseparable after being released from the hospital, and Toby wasn't one to be left out.

Subsequently, Turbo had to explain to his parents the situation with Rylan and the Toretto's. Toby's mom, of course, wanted to bail him out and put him back under her wing. But because of Neiko's previous troubles with the law, their dad quickly sent him off with the LAPD, leaving Neiko to face the law as an adult. And to avoid being home with his constantly-weeping mother, Toby spent most of his time with the Toretto clan; one in particular.

"Shit!" Rylan spat out in reply to the horn that honked outside her home. She rushed to get her things together, all-the-while trying to wake Cece up for breakfast. It was her first day back to school in weeks and she wasn't sure if she was quite ready to deal with it. It was no doubt that the whole city had heard of what happened with her family, and Rylan was positive she would be answering a million questions today. Thankfully, Turbo had picked up homework for her everyday so she wasn't too far behind. "Cecelia, get up! They don't eat until everyone is downstairs. Dad is gonna come carry you down!"

"You promise?" Cece stirred, rolling over in the comfy bed.

Rylan scoffed, "Ugh! Get up. I have to go. Stay out of trouble please," Rylan begged as she shouldered her backpack. She left her room, stopping at a nearby mirror, looking at her face. Her bruises had healed and were now a pale yellow, which Stacy helped cover with make up. Carefully, she peeled the bandage off her eye, nearly wincing at how tender the area was. Although the swelling had gone down, she was still stuck with a gut-wrenching black bruise under her eye.

Before she could further assess it, the horn barked at her again. Rolling her eyes, Rylan hiked up her hip and jumped on the railing, sliding down the spiral stairs quickly. Just as she dropped off at the bottom, her mother was standing there, arms crossed.

"How many times do you I have to tell you _not_ to do that?" Letty griped.

'Well if you and Dad would just put the fireman's pole in like I've been begging, I wouldn't do it. It's so much easier," Rylan replied, kissing Letty's cheek. She hurried into the kitchen before her mom went into a lecture. Dom was standing over the stove, waving a hand over the smoking bacon. Rylan ran over, kissing Dom's cheek quickly. Before she could run off, he grabbed her chin, turning her face to his.

"It's healing well. How does it feel?" he asked, rubbing his thumb gently over the bruise.

Rylan looked in his eyes, noticing the care and love he displayed for her. Without being able to give it a second thought, Rylan rushed Dom, wrapping her arms around his waist, her head buried in his chest. He smelled good, like body wash and motor oil. His arms instantly enveloped her in a tight hug, his large hands running through her silky hair. Dom didn't know what changed in two weeks, but Rylan became a lot more hostile and more loving. He didn't mind it though.

"Don't hog him Ry!" Stacy piped up, hugging Dominic from behind. He chuckled deeply, loving all the attention he had been receiving. He loved mornings like this.

Letty watched the scene with teary eyes, happy that her family was finally coming together. Though she wouldn't be completely satisfied until Ryan was behind bars for a long time.

"Room for me?" Cece asked from the entrance of the large kitchen. Rylan looked over her shoulder with her scowl.

"No, actually," she smiled, removing herself from Dom's grip. She picked up a few pieces of bacon, kissed Dom's cheek, and bounded out the house. Stacy said goodbye, following after Rylan.

"How you feelin' Red-Head? It's your last week in town," Dom smiled, sitting Cece's plate down in front of her at the table. She reached around, giving Dom a side hug.

"A little sore and very tired. Rylan kept me up all night talking. Wondering what we're going to do to keep two seventeen-almost-eighteen year old girls entertained while you guys are at the races this Friday ..." Cece trailed, hoping Dom would catch the hint.

"Guess it'll have to be something like NOT going to the races this Friday," Dom reiterated for the umpteenth time. Ever since Dom and the gang visited Cece together in the hospital the following day, the two had been trying to coax Dominic into letting them attend the races that night.

"Oh come on Dom," Letty stepped up, surprisingly the two. "Would you rather have them at the races with us, where they could be watched extensively, or here doing God knows what with God knows who?"

Letty had a point, and Dom knew it. He would be able to keep a close eye on the two in the same vicinity, and anytime Rylan was left alone, she manages to find trouble. He would have to think on it longer.

"Eat up, you're coming to the garage today. We'll decide this later."


	42. One Helluva Family

**Sorry for the wait guys. Thanks for the reviews. Final chapter (two-part epilogue following). This one might be long. Read and review please.**

**P.S. I just finished watching Los Bandoleros for the first time (I know, I'm late) but the Dom/Letty cuteness nearly made me kill over. Therefore, I am adding much more Dotty in this chapter!**

**Chapter 42**

(Rylan)

Pulling up to the high school, I realized how much I wasn't ready to be back in this environment. But I was determined to go through the last three months of high school, to get that diploma that my mother was so anxious to see. I wouldn't let her down, not after coming this far. I had to suck up whatever anger or reluctance that coarsed through my body and get on with it.

I looked around the courtyard, watching as teens continued with their lives as if mine hadn't been coming apart at the seams. Gazing around, I noticed members of Neiko's team dispersed around the area, most of them blending in with different groups and cliques. It was as if nothing happened with them. They weren't surrounded by other team members, which made me wonder; without a leader, maybe they figured there was no point in staying together as a team. Did my mom and the others feel the same after Dom split? I locked eyes with the most noticeable member of his team; Jack. I figured he sensed my watching him, because his dark eyes met mine. His scowl spoke hatred, and a twinge of guilt rung through my heart. I had been so concerned with keeping my family together, that I was breaking apart another family of sorts.

"Hey, don't sweat it," Turbo's hand on my shoulder broke my stare-off with Jack. I wanted to swat him away and tell him that I was fine, but my mother's words replayed in my head. _Don't be so brutal on him._

"I'm okay," I said with a sincere smile.

"Okay. C'mon, I'll walk you to class."

The three of us got out of the Jeep and started the journey across the yard. Stacy broke off after finding a group of her friends studying. The atmosphere tensed quickly as the crowd split like the Red Sea for us. The whispers and stares weren't hidden; the news about what happen spread like wildfire. I felt as if I was under a microscope for these people, and it was obvious I was uncomfortable about it. Turbo must have sensed my uneasiness because he draped his long arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer to him. At that moment, I was thankful the scrawny geek was on my side.

Entering the building, the tension wasn't any better. Only this time, the eyes stared that much longer, and the whispers were a little louder. Turbo and I split up to go to our lockers, agreeing to meet back up at mine. I quickly put in my combination, wanting to get out of the awkward situation as soon as humanly possible. After exchanging books out of my locker and backpack, I slammed the metal door shut, dropping my head on the cool door. My headache instantly eased off.

Just as I felt myself relaxing and coming back down to Earth, I felt a hand land on my shoulder. Jumping nearly ten felt out of my skin, I twirled around, swatting the offending appendage out of my bubble. The offender backed away, hands in the air. I looked her up and down, recognizing her from my first block class – Meghan.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to say thanks."

I frowned, running my fingers through my hair. "For what?"

"For getting rid of that jerkoff. Everyone is still talking about the picture that was forwarded to everyone's phone. He's been an asshole to girls since middle school. I'm just glad someone finally knocked him off his high horse."

It was clear that the girl had some sort of past with Neiko, which didn't surprise me. He seemed like quite the ladies man.

"He record you?" I asked curiously.

"After he got arrested, they raided his house, his room. Found a couple hundred tapes and copies. Somehow they got him to identify all the girls in the videos and made us come down to confirm. I'm gonna testify against him."

I nodded, feeling a sense of pride coarse through me. The thought of being able to save unknowing participants in Neiko's little sex romp put my mind at ease. The less girls to endure the torture, but better my conscience would feel. But the thought of these airheads praising me as if I was their savior was slightly annoying. I didn't need more people to depend on me; the less, the better.

"Look, I'm not your hero. I'm not anyone's hero. I just wasn't gonna stand for that punk trying to take advantage of me. You should be more aware of the men you choose and the company you keep."

It was clear the girl wanted to say more, but her attention was more on the bruises and cuts that adorned my face. I clenched my teeth, looking away. I didn't need her pity-party, I was getting plenty of that at home. Hell, my first week out the hospital everyone treated me like I was a piece of China. I wasn't some fragile little twit that thrived off of attention; I would much rather continue going through this year being unnoticed. Before she could speak, I brushed past over to Toby's locker. He gave me a questioning look, which I waved off quickly. I just wanted to get this day over with.

Sensing another presence, I turned around slowly. There she was again, shifting her weight from foot to foot. I pinched the bridge of my nose tightly, feeling a headache approaching quickly.

"I got a feeling you won't be going away for a while, right?" I asked sarcastically.

She smiled, "I've been wanting to talk to you forever. You aren't exactly the most approachable person," I nodded in agreement. "I wanted to warn you about Neiko once I heard him talking about you, but you don't seem like the type of person to take kindly to meddling people."

"You're right about that," I mumbled, catching a glance at the clock behind Meghan's head. The first bell for class would be ringing soon. "Look, walk with us to class," was all I said before walking away, assuming the other two were following.

It would be a long day for sure.

**-X-**

It was coming up on the last class of the day, and I had already made ten more friends then I previously had. I wasn't sure what to think of my new popularity, but it was a nice change to have people actually _want_ to hang around me. I was skeptical at first, ruling it out as pity. But the genuine vibes I got off everyone made me realize that it wasn't in fact pity, but generosity. I didn't know that still existed in the world. And to add on to the already great day, I passed my Spanish final with flying colors; all thanks to Cece. Spanish was her favorite language and she didn't care to help me bust my ass studying. Now to complete this day, I had to make it through Auto Shop.

I waltzed into the shop, the familiar smell of oil and sweat assaulting my nose immediately; these boys were the worst. It was quite (for the most part) with no sounds of power tools or hammers being used. The guys were sitting around, laughing obnoxiously as usual. I had forgotten how much I couldn't stand them. They all quieted upon seeing me, which I ignored.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be somewhere caged? Or maybe showing off that pretty little body on a camera?"

I turned around quickly, my eyes darting to the most dramatic boy in the class – David Jordan. He had been giving me grief since my first day, and it was getting old.

"Hey now, enough. I told you not to start your shit," Mr. Breckner interjected, stepping between David and I.

"I'm not starting anything. Just want the skirt to know her place. It's not anywhere near a car. She looked more comfortable in front of a camera naked then in a garage."

I dropped my head in shame. How could I forget about the video. After I had Jesse make copies of it, I had him distribute it at one of the races, a way to show idiots not to fuck with me. It wasn't my most well thought-out plan, but I was irate. It got the point across.

I glared at the disgusting look David had on his face. _Maybe it didn't get the point across clear enough._

"Mr. B, I'm sorry for this," I pushed Mr. Breckner out of the way, giving a hard, but swift kick to the groin, dropping David instantly to the floor. He grabbed his crotch in agony, rolling back and forth and groaning. The whole group oohed, two of them high-fiving each other.

"Enough," he shoved me away. "This shit stops today. Another one of you morons open your cakehole about something that's _not_ your business, _you_ won't be near a car anytime soon. Capisce?"

Nobody replied, probably from the shock of the teacher's outburst. Mr. Breckner was laid back and old-fashioned, so he handled his class the way he wanted. Instead of sending me to the office to deal with the consequences, he let me defend myself (which instantly made me feel better). I stormed to the back of the room where I usually sat, which was a direct view to Neiko's area. Thankfully, he wouldn't ever be returning.

"Okay Rylan, since you've been gone for a while, we got all the taxis finished. They were all run on an abandoned airstrip, and auctioned them off. The car that sold for the most at the auction was ironically Neiko's, who we all know will not be returning this year. Now for the remainder of the year, we have some odd jobs to do."

While Mr. B went lectured about the last few months of high school, my attention slipped away, my mind wandering about other things. I looked over at David, who was now seated at his desk, his face reddened and scowling, no doubt still hurting from the shot I gave him. The hate was floating off him in waves, which didn't phase me one bit. Nothing like shutting up a loud mouth asshole to make my day complete.

The rustling of the class broke me out of my daydreaming and sent me off to change into my coveralls. After returning, Mr. B was standing outside the locker room, waiting on me.

"We still have a job to do missy," he said, leading me over to the '61 Doge Dart. It was coming along nicely, with the doors and panels back on, a fresh coat of jet black paint, and new rings and tires. "We gotta put the new engine in, new brakes, and finish the chrome lining. That's what I'm doing today. You healed enough to accomplish that?" he asked with a grin.

I didn't reply, but gave him a smile and pushed the giant lift over to the Dart, one that'd help raise and lower the engine.

* * *

(No POV)

Dom winced at the blood trickling down his finger after knicking it on the engine he was currently working on. He walked to the bathroom for a band-aid, wondering if what God had against him today. He got a speeding ticket on the way to work, they were behind in the garage, and he still had to go grocery shopping for the first family barbecue at the new house. Dom only hoped his bad luck would clear up by then because he couldn't afford for anything to go wrong, especially with Vince and Mia bringing the twins out for their first outing. Dom rarely had days like this, but when he did, it was hard to get going.

"Dom, we got another one. Did all of fucking L.A break down today?" Vince barked at Dom as another car pulled up to the bay door.

Dom sighed heavily, rinsing his hands off in the sink. He cupped some water, splashing it onto his face. He did it again, only this time it was on his shaved head and dripped down his neck, which felt amazing compared to the scorching heat. It was already at 93 degrees, and it would only get hotter. Dom looked at his reflection in the mirror, noticing the stress etched clearly on his face. He did one last splash, but when he came up, Letty's reflection was behind him, causing him to flinch.

"Shit woman, don't do that," he muttered, running his hands over his head. Letty wrapped her arms around his waist.

"What's wrong bub? You've been jumpy all day." Dom turned around, wrapping his long arms around his back, the smell of her shampoo relaxing his speeding heart. It always did.

"I'm just stressed. Today doesn't seem off to you?" he mumbled, looking around the front of the garage. The guys were hard at work with Cece right along with them, working just as hard.

"Well you actually got pulled over. What's that about? You granny shiftin' nowadays?" she asked with a smirk, knowing it would get to him.

"You know for a fact, that I don't granny shift. It's all about the _swift and hard_ shifting, you know that," Letty wasn't blind, she easily caught the double meaning, and she couldn't deny that it turned her on. She rubbed her hands over his chest, squeezing his pecs slightly. Dom growled deep in his throat, knowing exactly what'll turn his luck around.

"I might have forgotten just have you shift," Letty insinuated, "Why don't you show me?"

"Cece, make sure they don't get into trouble. Guys, get lost!" Dom roared to the workers without taking his eyes off Letty. She quirked an eyebrow at him, slowly undoing the buttons to her top.

"Dom, we got a shit load of work-" Vince griped, but Dom's baritone voice cut him off.

"Go to lunch V!" He barked, fire burning through is body. Letty ripped her shirt off, now only clad in a bra and low-riding work pants. After a few seconds of groaning, the boys cleared out of the garage, leaving the couple alone in their moment. Before Letty could move, Dom grabbed her face, crashing his lips down onto hers. He bit into her bottom lip roughly, causing her to release a soft moan in response. Dom ripped his sweaty beater from his chest, revealing a tan, ripped torso. Letty's fingers roamed all over Dom's body, his doing the same in return. When Letty broke the kiss, Dom moved to her neck, licking and nipping every area available.

While she was enjoying what he was doing to her body, she couldn't help teasing him. "Isn't this the part where you lift me by my ass?" she asked sarcastically. Just then, Dom's hands traveled south, cupping right below Letty's cheeks, lifting her body in the air. Even after almost twenty years without intense garage sex, it was instinctive for Letty to wrap her legs around his waist. Dom carried her over to the worn out couch that still sat in the back of the garage. Letty looked over at the couch, her mind flooding with all of her memories with Dom on the very same piece of furniture.

"Why haven't you gotten rid of this thing?" she asked while Dom nuzzled his face between her breast.

"It was the only memories in this garage of you that I could keep. Let's see how well it'll hold up," he whispered as he kissed her lips passionately.

_**Twenty minutes later...**_

"Yo Dom!" Vince announced before the guys re-entered the garage. The boys knew what was happening, and didn't want to walk in on Dom and Letty … again. Vince was already traumatized from the many times interrupting Dom and Letty's private time. He also knew how pissed off Dom got when someone barged in on them, even if they were "mingling" in an open area.

"It's safe V," Dom chuckled as he appeared from the office, tying the arms of his coveralls together. "What'd you bring me?" Dom asked, noticing the plastic food holding food from the cafe.

Letty chuckled as she ran her fingers through her messy hair. "Typical man."

"I'm hungry," Dom defended, popping a fry into his mouth.

"Dom, RaceWars info just came in," Jesse announced as he left his makeshift office, papers in his hand.

Letty perked up at the mention of their old annual family outing. The last one she attended would definitely go down in history. Jesse raced Tran for slips and ran; bad blood brewed between Dom and the Trans, and shit was downhill from there. Even though her team dominated the event every year, she wasn't sure if she was ready to relive that horrific day.

"Let's see what we got," Dom said, taking the papers from Jesse. His eyes skimmed over the information looking for the date.

"July 4th weekend," he proclaimed, receiving whoops and hollers from the crew. "It's at the regular airbase. This year they're holding a new event: Team Wars. Each team consisting of eight will compete against other teams in four events: a quarter mile race, drifting, a circuit race, and a captain versus captain challenge. The team coming away with the most wins takes home the grand prize of $50,000."

The garage exploded with cheers at the newly improved RaceWars.

"They might as well call it Team Toretto Wars. You know we're going home with that money," Vince cheered cockily, high-fiving Leon.

Dom chuckled as he continued to look over the e-mail. Brick piped up after thinking about what he had heard.

"Dom we don't have eight drivers," Dom's eyes instantly went to Letty. She held her hands up, backing away from the insinuation.

"Nope. No thanks," she said quickly, turning to a nearby car. Dom stood, walking over to her. He wrapped his arms around her, putting his lips to her ear.

"Letty, come on. You know you miss the feel of speeding down that strip, no worries of cops or the competition catching you," he whispered. His words alone were enough to send chills down her spine.

"I told you already. I don't race anymore," she replied hesitant.

"And I told you, that's bullshit. It's in your blood, in your heart. You know, once you pushed your car to the limit, there was no turning back. I need you on my team, Leticia," Dom whispered, planting a sweet kiss on her ear. "Ride or die. Remember?"

Letty turned around, her deep brown eyes meeting his. _Ride or die_. It was a promise she made to him the night they became a couple all those years ago. If nobody else, she would be by his side whenever he needed her, he didn't even have to ask. It guaranteed that Letty would be his sidekick if he needed it. She would break every law there was, if it meant she had the chance to be by Dominic Toretto's side. It was a promise he knew she would never break, regardless of the severity of the situation.

At that moment, Letty saw every race she had been in. Each race, Dom had been in her corner, cheering her on. She knew in her heart he was right. She was a racer by heart. She glanced behind him into Jesse's hopeful blue eyes. At that moment, she didn't see a 30-something year old man, but a young seventeen year old Jess who loved racing more than life. She promised she'd always be on the blacktop when he needed her there.

"Whaddaya say Jess? You need me out there?" she asked with a smirk.

In an instant, Jesse ran to her, lifting her from the ground. Letty squealed with happiness.

"We still need two more drivers," Leon piped up.

"I can race. I'll be outta school-" Cece started as Dominic walked her way.

"No way," he ruffled her hair. "You're already a liability to us. You can be our cheerleader though," the gang laughed at the scowl on her face. "But that gives us six months to prepare. We'll figure out the formation then. Let's finish these cars so we can go grub," Dom said, putting the shop back into order.

* * *

"Mia move your ass, girl! I'm gonna dump this food all over your pretty little dress," Letty said sarcastically as she tried to move past Mia in the kitchen.

It was the first family barbecue at the new beach-front house and chaos was already strewing. Denise had decided to learn how to cook with the help of Mia and Letty, which was becoming a disaster. Lisa was trying to entertain the children, most of whom were family of Brick and Lisa. Vince and Leon set up a volleyball net down by the water and a game was already in session: Vince, Leon, Jesse, and Brick against Rylan, Stacy, Turbo, and Cece. Rylan wasn't sure why, but she invited her new friend Meghan to the gathering. She wasn't as stuck up as the other students, which made her likeable immediately. Megan was acting as a referee.

Dom stood by his brand new grill that Hector bought him as a housewarming gift. Dominic enjoyed the cool breeze coming from the ocean as he sipped his beer comfortably. He looked around at his large, but incredible family. He couldn't believe how far his family had come after so many years of tragedy, pain, and destruction. He was glad to have gotten rid of the negativity surrounding his team, and even more happy to bring forth love and security.

"Hey dad," Koy interrupted Dom's moment, but he didn't mind.

"Koy! My man," Dom smirked, tossing his arm over his son's shoulder. Dom looked down at his mini-me and smiled. Other than the almond-shaped eyes that belonged to Anastasia, Koy was the spitting image of Dom. For being only eleven, he was already standing 5'5" with a slight muscular build. He had Dominic's dark, wavy hair and deep brown eyes. At times, Dominic wished that Koy's mother, Anastasia, hadn't given up on the child so early in his life. It didn't seem to affect the boy now, but Dom knew what it was like growing up without a mother. After his and Mia's mother, Guadalupe, died during the birth of Mia, Dom's life was altered forever. He just hoped Koy didn't face the same future.

"So how long until you and Letty get married?" his question caught Dom off guard, but it didn't surprise him. Koy had been intuitive since he was a toddler.

"What makes you think we're getting married?"

"Come on Dad, you haven't dated in forever. It's obvious to everyone that you two love each other."

Dom chuckled, "What do you know about love kid?" Koy shrugged. Letty's laughter caught Dom's attention and he turned around, spotting his woman exiting the house with Mia, Denise, and the twins in tow. A special light seemed to shine off the beautiful Latina as the wind blew throw her dark curls. Her bright smile made Dom's heart heavy with love. At that moment, Dom knew marriage was in his future. His near future. "Lemme tell you something about love, Koy. When you find a good woman, you better treat her right. Hold her when she wants to be held. Don't yell at her when she's only trying to love you. And if you find a woman like Letty, trust me, she will love you through it all. Take her to her favorite place more often than not. Don't ever take her kindness for weakness, 'cause I'm sure she'll love you a lot," Dom smiled bright as Letty picked up one of the twins, holding him above her head. "Koy, you gotta be there for that woman. Don't ever turn your back on her. Support her in all that she does. Don't tear her down, lift her up. 'Cause that is the worst thing you can do to someone you love. Put her high on a pedestal. And always – always – tell her when she looks beautiful. That's probably the most important thing Koy Toretto."

Koy looked at Dom with a quirked eyebrow. "Dad, please. I can't stand girls. Don't worry, I'm not ready for all of _that_ yet. Geez."

Dom laughed as his boy ran off chasing Jack down the beach. He finished off his beer and flipped over the ribs, loving the smell that they marinated. Dom watched as Letty sauntered over to him, a seductive grin on her face. Dom took in the bright yellow sundress Letty wore that made her tan skin pop.

"Hey stud!" she smiled, wrapping her arms around his thick waist. Dom placed his hands over hers, giving it a tight squeeze.

"You're so beautiful Let," he murmured, taking his own advice for once. She smiled bright, laying her head on his back.

**-X-**

About an hour later, the food was complete and the family sat around an extended picnic table ready to grub. Dom looked around, intrigued by the many conversations happening at once. He had a mouthy group for sure.

"Alright, settle down," Dom announced quieting the group. "I'll say grace. And when I close my eyes, don't touch the food … _Vince_," the emphasis on his name made V snarl at him. The family laughed and bowed their heads. "Dear Heavenly Father, we want to say thanks for bringing us another glorious day, and a wonderful selection of food. Personally, I want to say thank you for bringing my family together again. We've been put in front of a lot of situations, and we've dominated them all. We wouldn't have done this without each other, and you. Amen."

The silenced ended as everyone began digging in. Dom clasped his hands under his chin as he watched his family interact. He looked at the individuals that made his life worthwhile.

He looked at Jesse, who was shoveling mashed potatoes on his plate. The Kid had come far from adversity he faced as a teenager. He was an adult now, a man, and he was doing pretty damn good. He was happy the two were back on good terms, and Dom promised that he would stop treating him like a child. He was grown now, and he was able to be his own person.

Leon's laughter caught Dom's attention, he was wiping food from Lisa's smiling face. Dom was happy for the former playboy. He had a good woman, who was dedicated to him. Dom was proud of ol' Le. He was doin' the volunteer firefighter job, his dream. But he was still dedicated to the family and the team.

A baby's cheer brought Dom's eyes to Vince and Mia. Vince was holding baby Gabriel in his arms, a joyful smile for his son. When they were younger, Dom loathed the thought of Vince preying on his innocent Mia. Vince was his best friend, but definitely not the guy he wanted to see Mia with. But after he returned from Japan, the duo were together and engaged to be married. Vince always care about his sister and if she was willing to take that chance, Dom had given him the benefit of the doubt. The loving family that they created was well worth it.

Brick and Denise's loud bickering caught his eye. They were debating on whose grandmother made the best pecan pie. From the outside, the doctor and the body builder – street racer - mechanic couple didn't look like their world's would ever cross (willingly, that is). But they were actually great together. The Doc saw past his bravado, and Brick was able to make her relax and live a little.

Keeping his eyes going around the table, Dom landed on his new daughters, Stacy and Rylan. He more than adored them both. Stacy was the more approachable one who was easier to get along with. Rylan, the more rebellious of the two, was more like Dom: a bad attitude, a heavy foot, and loyal to the family. He couldn't be more happy to have her in his life. He would be the best father to her that he could be.

Lastly, his eyes landed on the beautiful Puerto-Rican woman he called his girlfriend. Dominic never really knew how much Letty meant to him until he was in Japan, sleeping alone at night. Until he had no one. Letty was his soul mate, he knew it and so did everyone else. She was his Bonnie as he was Clyde. Which is why he would never let her out of his sight again. The two were an unstoppable force. Years of crime and infidelity, and decades of no communication couldn't even keep these two away from each other. It was then that Dom realized how strong and powerful real love was. Not just for Letty, but for the whole group of them. A group of rugged, foul-mouthed, street-racing outcasts were _his_ family. He wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

**That's it! Finally! I know it's taken forever, but we're finally done. Or are we? Remember, a two-part epilogue will follow after this chapter. Thanks for everyone who stuck with me through this. I know it was a rough road. But I promise I'll take care of my next story better.**

**P.S. - I decided to use lyrics from this song -Beautiful by Vivian Green- as Dom's speech to Koy. It just seemed to fit :)**


	43. Moving On

**P.S. A lot of breaks, and long chapter alert!**

**Epilogue Pt. 1 – The Court Showdown**

"Alright, Let. That's the last of the things from the basement," Dom announced as he loaded a box into the U-Haul.

"Rylan, are you sure that's everything? We won't be coming back here. Uncle Clarence is gonna be living here now," Letty said, lifting her cell phone from her pocket to make the call.

Rylan rolled her eyes as she tucked the last of her belongings under her arm. "For the last time, my room is empty, Stacy's room is empty too. Robbie is still up there with Koy getting his shit. Stacy and I are going to pick up Cece."

"Watch your mouth kid," Dom said. "Geesh, I feel like that's all I ever say to you."

"It is," Rylan smirked. "I get it from you."

It had been four months since the ordeal with Ryan Parker, and the Toretto family was relatively back to normal. Instead of selling the mansion in New York, Letty decided to give it to Ryan's estranged homeless brother, Clarence. She got in contact with him after the trial and offered him the home. He was a good guy, and a good uncle to the kids before he lost everything after he got laid off, but he was never offered any help from his brother. Without a question, Letty found Clarence and offered him the home, the Mercedes, and a job at Swanson's Autoshop.

"Clarence is on his way over. I'm gonna run up and get the boys," Letty said as Dominic jumped in the truck.

As she walked through the doors, the memories from court plagued her mind. It was a relatively short proceeding, lasting only about a month to convict Reese, Neiko, and Ryan. Rylan was found guilty of conspiracy, assault, and attempted murder. On those charges alone, he was facing thirty years in federal prison. On the money laundering counts, he faced 15-25 years. Reese Daniels was charged with kidnapping, assault, and stalking. He admitted to trying to have sex with a minor against her will. A long with Rylan's testimony and a judge's hatred for molesters, Reese was sentenced to 25 to life. Neiko's separate case involving the recordings of himself and other girls caused an uproar with the community. He was sentenced to forty years, facing ten years of supervised probation after his release. Letty and the team were happy about the outcome of that case, but Letty would be forever scarred after the domestic violence trial. The last three months included a lengthy divorce/domestic abuse trial.

* * *

"_How are you feeling Mom?" Rylan asked Letty the morning of the big trial. Letty, Rylan, and Stacy would all be testifying against the man who raised and took care of them. Dom and the others were going to be there for moral support._

"_I'm just ready for all this to be over," Letty replied as she smoothed the wrinkles out of her white dress. Letty turned to face her two girls, smiling at how nice they looked. Rylan wore a black button down shirt and white dress pants, while Stacy settled for a bright blue floral-print dress. "You guys clean up nice."_

"_Yeah, well it's a lot better than that dress that Aunt Mia tried to force me in. That thing was hideous," Rylan scoffed at the thought._

_An hour later, the ladies stood in front of a judge, Ryan Parker on the other side of the courtroom surrounded by guards and lawyers. Letty couldn't stop herself from looking over at him. He sensed her stare and turned his eyes on her. Ryan's eyes were icy blue, showing no regret or remorse, but pain. As if **he** was the one who suffered through years of verbal and physical abuse. This angered Letty as she turned and faced the judge._

"_We're here to discuss the charges of aggravated domestic assault, battery on a minor, and aggravated sexual assault and rape on a minor. We'll hear testimony from Leticia Ortiz first."_

_Before she took the stand, her lawyer, Brandon Stevens, whispered in her ear, "Stay calm, be cool, and tell the truth. Don't leave anything out."_

_Letty took a deep breath as she was sworn in._

"_Well I met Ryan Parker when I was about 22 years old. I had just moved to New York from L.A and I didn't know much about the city. I met the defendant at a gas station. He introduced himself as 'The Biggest Thing in New York'. I thought he was arrogant, but he was charming also. Fast-forward a few years, he proposed to me when I was 25. Things were great, they were amazing at first. Then about three years into our marriage, things changed. Ryan changed. At first, it started out verbally, he was really aggressive during our arguments. The first altercation I can remember it being physical was during a trip home from Stacy's (his daughter) doctor's appointment. I can't recall exactly what the altercation was about, but I remember him threatening to run us off the road. I tried to talk him down but he was just really irate. We pulled up to a stop sign, and unexpectedly, he slapped me really hard in the face."_

_As Letty recollected her tumultuous marriage with Ryan, she kept her eyes on Dominic. He promised he would behave but she could tell he was getting frustrated. He jaw was clenched tightly and he ran his hand over his bald scalp repeatedly. Denise rubbed Dominic's back to sooth his temper. The first half hour had been torture for him, but the terror Letty was enduring was beyond unimaginable. Dominic tried to focus on Letty's voice again._

"_When my daughter Rylan was thirteen, that's when he became worse. We got into an argument the night of August 5th. Rylan was trying to defend me and he got angry and pushed her down the stairs. She ended up with a broken arm that night."_

_Dom quietly stood up and stormed out of the courtroom. The thought of someone harming one of his and getting away with it made his blood run cold. He didn't smoke, but he bummed a smoke off passerby. As he took a long drag, he felt his tense muscles relaxing. He paced back and forth, trying to relax his nerves._

"_Dom! Yo Dominic!" Vince barked at his friend, who had somehow made it down the block. He jogged down to the pacing giant. "Brother, yo can't just bail on her like that. She needs you in there."_

"_It's taking everything in me to not hop over there and beat him to a bloody pulp."_

"_Dominic, you know you'd be in a cell next to him for life. You know the FBI is waiting for you to snap so they can toss you away for life," Vince reasoned. "Be smart. Go in there and stand in her corner. Not just for Let, but for your girls. They all need you."_

_Vince's words were convincing enough to make Dominic's anger diminish. Dom took another drag off his cigarette and flicked it into the street._

"_Picked up a new hobby I see," Vince said sarcastically._

_Back in the courtroom, Letty was now sitting behind the plaintiff's desk, handing over her box of pictures – now evidence of the brutal beatings she had endured. Letty tried to look at everything else to avoid reliving those years of pain. She turned as she watched Vince and Dom re-enter the room, which stopped the proceedings._

"_Do you gentlemen mind?" the judge griped._

_Letty almost chuckled at the sheepish look on Dom's face after being scolded by the judge. The slideshow continued as Letty described when and how the bruise had been administered._

* * *

The horn snapped Letty out of her flashback. She would never get over the look of horror on Dom's face as the evidence was presented. Letty continued through the house, coming across a family portrait that she avoided when packing up the house. She remembered that day like it was yesterday. They went to a private photographer for pictures, one suggested to Ryan by a co-worker. For some reason, Ryan was irritated, which made him hell on wheels at the shoot. He wasn't satisfied by any of the pictures, he showed absolute disdain for what Letty was wearing, and he scolded the photographer for not "capturing the essence of power" in the shot. _Silly me, I thought it was about family and love_, Letty thought as she snatched the frame down, tossing it in a nearby trashcan. She hated the fact that even miles away in a jail-cell, he still had the ability to frustrate the hell out of her.

Continuing on the way up the stairs, Letty could still somehow smell the sickening scent of Ryan's blood throughout the second story of the home. Although her feet led her towards Robbie's room, her heart tugged her to her bedroom. Fighting the urge, she stepped into her son's doorway.

"Hurry up guys, it's time to go. Dad's getting cranky," she announced, watching the boys go through Robbie's toys.

As she stood, she spaced out again, her mind thinking recklessly of random events. A loud gunshot made her jump out of her skin, whipping her head around to her old bedroom. Her heart racing, she looked at the boys, wondering why they were acting as if nothing had happened. Quickly walking to the room, she grabbed the knob, slamming the door open hard enough to crash into the wall behind it. Letty clasped her hand against her mouth at the sight of blood covering the walls and floors. The body on the bed belonging to Ryan, blood and brain matter spewing from his head. Unable to contain herself, she let out a bloodcurdling scream.

* * *

"_We will now hear questioning from C.J Stone, the defendant's attorney. Whenever you're ready," the judge said as Rylan fiddled with her shirt. She was now on the stand, and after being questioned by her lawyer, Mr. Stevens, she was now about to be cross-examined by Ryan's attorney._

"_So Rylan, how would you describe your and the defendant's relationship?"_

_Rylan chuckled sarcastically, "Non-existent," a quick snarl from Letty made Rylan straighten up. "We never really got along. I mean sure, he bought me things and gave me a place to lay my head at night, but he was far from a father. Even further from a friend," she looked at Ryan as she spoke; she wasn't surprised by his lack of interest in her._

"_Okay. How would you describe Letty and Ryan's relationship? Was it healthy?"_

"_Not at all. For as long as I can remember, he was very abusive. Always yellin' and puttin' her down."_

"_Hmm. So you say you remember Ryan being abusive. What about your mom? She ever get mad and yell at the defendant?"_

_Rylan furrowed her brows, wondering what he was getting at. "Well of course, she defended herself. When he yelled, she yelled back."_

"_So they were both verbally abusive towards each other?"_

"_Yes, you can say that."_

"_Well don't you think that could have added fuel to the flame?"_

"_But he started-"_

"_Rylan, did you ever witness your mother hit the defendant, physically?"_

_Rylan's eyes looked to her mother for support, but Letty looked away. She knew what was happening, Ryan was trying to turned the situation around on her._

"_Answer the question, Ms. Parker," the judge pushed, making Rylan extremely uncomfortable._

"_...Yes," Rylan whispered, gritting her teeth._

"_Have you ever witnessed your mother instigating an argument between the two?" Mr. Stone asked, walking around the courtroom._

"_No. Every time I saw them fighting or arguing, it was always him."_

"_Please just answer with a 'yes' or 'no'. That would be appreciated," Mr. Stone said. The ostentation in his voice made Rylan's skin crawl. She hated men like him. Men like Ryan Parker. "Will you explain to the court what happened the night of December 31st?"_

"_That's not a yes or no question," Rylan couldn't refrain from being a smart-ass._

"_Ma'am, answer the question."_

"_I don't know what they were fighting about. My brother Robbie, Stacy, and I were downstairs, and we heard yelling. I ran upstairs into their room and found them yelling. I went to my room, and..." Rylan knew it wasn't a good idea to mention the gun that she illegally bought. For one, they were in a federal court. Two, she wasn't even old enough to old a rifle, let alone a handgun. She was up shit-creek without a paddle._

"_... And? What did you go to your room for?" Mr. Stone pressed._

_Rylan hesitated, for the first time feeling fear and uncertainty. "I went to my room for the gun that I bought. I went to back into their room and Ryan was hitting her. She hit him back and he got angry, slapping her so hard that she fell to the floor-"_

_By the way the court gasped, she could tell that the gun situation wasn't over._

"_If I may interrupt, where did you buy a gun?"_

"_A friend."_

"_And why did you buy a gun? Don't you know that it's illegal and that you could have possibly faced felony charges?"_

"_Yes, but at that point, I didn't care. I was more concerned with my family's safety."_

"_Did you buy it intending to use it?"_

"_No, never! Just to scare him a little so he'd back off."_

"_Did you fire the gun at my defendant?"_

"_I fired one shot above him to make him listen to me. I never fired it directly at him."_

"_Well what's the point of spending money on a pistol if you didn't need it? What would have happened if he didn't listen to you?"_

"_Objection your honor, can we get on with the story? It's clear that she had every right to protect her family. He's badgering my witness" Mr. Stevens interrupted, hoping to get Rylan's out of the hole she was digging._

"_Sustained. Give the girl a break," the judge reprimanded. "Continue."_

"_Thanks. As I went in the room, he knocked my mother down and climbed on top of her, placing his hands around her neck. I pointed the gun to his head and told him to move. He moved. I told mom to pack her things, I called a few friends, and we left the house."_

"_How was my client's behavior when he found out that you guys were leaving? Was he upset?"_

"_Yes. He cried. Begged for us to stay."_

"_Is it true that when my client offered to change, to better himself for the family you replied 'You bleeped up too bad. You turned my mother into your personal punching bag and my sister into your bleeping slave'?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Don't you think he was worthy of a second chance? As an American citizen, wasn't he guaranteed a second chance to better himself?"_

"_No sir, I don't."_

"_No further questions, your honor."_

When Letty woke, she realized she was in a moving car, unsure of how she got there. She rubbed her tired eyes and looked around, noticing she was in the U-Haul, back on the way to L.A.

"What happened?" she asked Dom, who seemed very relaxed.

"The boys said the heard the door slam, they ran in and you were passed out. I came in and gotcha," he said simply.

Letty ran her hands down her face and took a sip of her water. "I freaked out back there Dom. I lost it."

"I figured. Don't worry, we're gonna get you back in that good L.A weather and under an injured car. You'll be back to yourself in no time."

Letty smiled and sat back, deciding to relax in the comfort of Dominic's safety.

* * *

(Rylan)

"Bring my girl back in one piece," Mr. Swanson said as Cece tossed her things in Stacy's car.

"Dad, I'll be back at the end of the summer, I promise. I'll be careful. Take care of yourself old man," Cece smiled at her father. After a long embrace, she jumped in the car, waving as we drove off.

"How the hell are ya?" I smiled at my best friend. It had been a few months since we had seen each other, but we talked almost every night.

"Hey girl," Stacy added from the driver's seat.

"This is a nice ass car," Stacy noted as she felt the smooth leather in the all-white BMW X5 Lumma.

"Thanks. Graduation gift. This ain't shit compared to Ry's car," Stacy smirked at me.

"Shit, what the hell are you driving then?" Cece asked.

"You'll see," I smiled proudly, sitting back.

An hour into the trip, Cece questioned us about the court case that we were all longing to forget.

"Ry, I already talked to you about your part of the case. Stace, how did your testimony go? Were they hard on you?" The atmosphere in the car changed instantly.

"Well it wasn't that bad considering he confessed. I just hated having to go over it with all those people watching me. Especially mom."

* * *

"_So how would you describe you and the defendant's relationship?" Brandon asked Stacy._

"_Well he's my father. I've been with him since I was a few months old. Despite him being cruel to Letty and Rylan, he was a great man to me. I was definitely a Daddy's girl."_

"_When did the relationship change?"_

"_When I was just turning fifteen. He started acting really creeping, saying inappropriate things."_

"_Things like what?"_

"_Well when I was cheerleading, he'd tell me how sexy I looked in my uniform. Or that if he wasn't my dad, he'd love to be with a young girl like me. Real sick shit," Stacy's emotions were getting the best of her._

"_How'd you feel about these things he said?"_

"_Grossed out, of course."_

"_Understandable, Ms. Parker. When was the first time you can remember your own father getting sexually physical with you?" Brandon asked with empathy._

"_Um, it was around the middle of my sophomore year in high school. I guess he realized how much attention I was getting from boys at school, so he figured he'd try his luck. I was coming home from school one day, and the house was empty. Or so I thought. My dad was in my room …" Stacy paused, wiping her tears away._

"_Take your time," Brandon consoled, handing his client a tissue._

_Stacy's glare turned cold and angry as her eyes turned to her father's, "He was in my room, in my bed … masturbating."_

_The court gasped, with Dominic's growl being clearly audible. The judge pounded her gavel._

"_Order!" she stated._

"_What happened after that?"_

"_I screamed. I freaked out. He jumped out of the bed and ran to me, slapping me in the face. He stood over me with a raging boner. I wanted to puke."_

_Letty cracked her knuckles under the table, trying to keep her hatred for her husband under wraps. She was ready to pounce on him like a lion on a gazelle. How could she have been so blind to her husband hurting his own kid?_

"_He put his hand over my mouth and raped me for three hours. No matter how hard I cried or fought, he didn't stop," Stacy finished._

"_Okay, next question. Just a few more okay?" Stacy nodded. She hated the way the court eyed her, offering unneeded pity. "How often did it happen? Once a month? Once a week?"_

"_Almost every night he and mom fought. He would creep in my room late. After he was done humiliating me, he threatened to kill me if I spoke a word. So I didn't."_

"_Last question: You never did anything to cause your fathers attention to turn your way, did you? Never said anything or wore anything provocative?"_

"_No, never," she stated firmly._

"_No further questions, your honor," Brandon said._

* * *

"Ugh, let's not talk about that anymore," I said, ending the conversation quickly. "It's all over now."

"Shouldn't we be following your parents?" Cece asked, wondering how the girls knew the back roads.

"Maybe, but we have GPS. If we fall off track, Dad will find us," I said with no enthusiasm.

"Greeeat. I guess that means no sight-seeing?" Cece asked with as much excitement as I.

"Guys, cheer up," Stacy said, turning the radio on. "We can have sing-a-longs."

Cece and I groaned as Stacy began screaming along with the tunes on the radio. I covered my ears and looked over at her with a smile. She seemed genuinely happier with our new family in L.A. She was weary of newcomers, but she was now the first to befriend a newbie. I was proud of her for not letting her father's craziness affect her personality and daily life. If you didn't know, you would never guess the things she had endured through her youth.

"C'mon Ry, sing it with me," Stacy cheered, bopping along with to Justin Timberlake.

I looked back, watching Cece join in to my sister's antics. Smiling, I finally gave in and joined in on the sing-a-long.

**-X-**

A day later, we were back in L.A, back in the shop. Regardless on what we did the day before, Dad always wanted to jump back into the garage. With Cecelia here, she too was in a pair of coveralls, covered in grease like the rest of us.

"Hey Ry, you need to move your car. It's blocking the freaking bay," Vince whined for the fourth time. I was so caught up in the conversation with Cece on the old Monte Carlo that we working on, I continued to ignore him.

"Rylan Tyler," Mom's voice called from afar. She gave me a stern look that got me moving instantly.

"Big baby," I muttered, "Cece come with."

Walking out of the garage, the bright sun gleamed off the silver paint of my baby, making me fall in love all over again.

"Dude, I still can't believe you got that Firebird," Cece shook her head at my car.

"I'm shocked by it everyday," I smiled, jumping into my car.

* * *

_**I can't believe I'm doing this,** I kept thinking to myself as I slid my feet into the bright red heels. Yes, heels. I figured I could put up with them for one night, especially this night._

_Prom._

_I had no intentions on going, but after Toby kept hinting that he really wanted to go but had no date, I waited on him to ask so I could say yes. Frequent mentions of how "this day only comes around once" didn't help on my aims to not attend the event. So after a few weeks of avoiding the topic, the nerd finally asked me two weeks ahead, just enough time to find a dress._

_My heart fluttered as I watched myself in the floor-length mirror. The backless dress was one by a designer whose name was one I didn't care enough to remember, but it was beautiful. A blood red color with diamond details that were emblazoned on the straps and the waistline. The neckline plunged dangerously low, which I worried about; didn't need any "wardrobe malfunctions". Never the less, I thought I looked pretty damn good._

"_Oww, oww!" Stacy hollered as she walked in my room. I punched her lightly in the arm. "Damn Ry, you look beautiful. Don't move, I gotta get a picture of this, considering this day will never happen again," I rolled my eyes at her dramatics. I put my hands on my bare hips, checking myself out in the mirror._

"_I am smoking hot," I whispered to myself, or so I thought._

"_I agree girl, damn!" Aunt Mia said, snapping pics of me._

"_Enough with the cameras already," I laughed, running my hands through my hair._

"_Stop it!" Mia swatted my hand away, "Geez, I wish you would've let me do something with this."_

"_Aunt Mia, you did a great job straightening it pin-straight. I think it's fine," I replied. A knock at the door caused my heart to drop to my shiny red toenails._

"_Rylan, your date is here chica!" My mother's voice called from downstairs. Aunt Mia grabbed Stacy and went downstairs, where everyone awaited the traditional 'Walk'. I took a deep breath and grabbed hold of my dress, assuring myself I would step on it … or fall._

"_Oh mi dios," I heard my mother whisper as the gang appeared at the bottom of the stairs. My father was standing behind my mother, sure enough holding her up. The boys hollered, causing my cheeks to turn beet red. I hated attention like this, even though I knew they meant well._

"_I make a good lookin' kid," Dom announced with a cheeky smile. I rolled my eyes as I made it to the bottom, where Turbo stood with his jaw scraping the floor._

_I was surprised at how great he cleaned up. His curls were pulled back into a ponytail and he looked sharp in his black tux and red undershirt. "You look amazing," he whispered as I gave him a hug. He smelled great and looked better, I was surely in a daze._

"_Thanks," I whispered, trying to get my wits about me. Flashes snapped around us as everyone took pictures and gave compliments; I felt like a movie star._

"_Mija, te ves tan hermosa," Letty complimented me. I smiled, kissing her cheek._

"_Come on Nerdstrom," he rolled his eyes at my nickname for him. "Let's get this over with."_

_Toby took my hand and led me out the house, but before we could make a clean getaway, Mom called out to me for one more picture. Toby wrapped one around my waist and I hugged him back. Right before the photo was snapped, Toby placed a warm kiss on my temple, bringing a bright smile to my face._

"_Be safe kids. Toby keep your paws off my girl!" Dad yelled as Turbo opened the Jeep door for me. I stepped in, ready for the night to begin. I had no idea what this night had in store for me, but I was ready to tackle it with Toby. Flying through the streets, I looked over at the cheeky Turbo, whose hair was blowing in the wind. No doubt my hair would be untamed by the time we made it there, but in that instance, I didn't care. I was just enjoying being in that moment with Toby – my man. Wow, it was strange to think I had a boyfriend. My first one, in fact. Holding my hand, Turbo brought it to his lips, kissing my knuckles lightly._

_Ten minutes later, we were at the huge event, where camera flashes and limos were literally **everywhere**. Girls in pretty dresses, handsome guys in tuxes, this party was certainly lavish. Looking over at Toby, I noticed a look of self-doubt on his face. It was clear that he wasn't confident pulling up in a Jeep Wrangler to his senior prom. If he didn't feel proud out here, I knew there would be no way in hell he'd feel comfortable around a school full of uppity people._

"_Hey, this isn't really my scene," I said, catching his eye. "Wanna skip this and find something to do?" _

"_You sure? I mean, this is prom. It only happens once, right?"_

"_We came, we saw, we left," I shrugged it off. He hesitatingly started the engine again, ready to skip out on an important event in our teenage lives. Before we could pull off, a heard someone yelling my name._

"_Where you going girl? You look beautiful!" Megan, my new friend, yelled as she carried her pretty pink dress along with her._

"_This is pretty lame. We're heading out."_

"_God please take us with you! They are playing the most awful music. I can't dance to that crap," Megan begged, sticking her bottom lip out. I looked over at her date, who seems totally bored out of his mind. After getting the OK from Toby, I pulled the seat back for them to jump in._

"_I have to show you something, so I guess they're coming along," Toby said, speeding off from the event. I gave him a curious look, but after realizing that he wasn't letting me in, I sat back and enjoyed the air._

_After about ten minutes of Megan hollering at drivers, I finally started to recognize the area._

"_Hey, that's my dad's shop. What are we doing here?" I asked Toby, noticing DT Automechanics coming up on our left._

_Toby only smiled, pulling in to the parking lot. He ran around to my side, opening the door. Toby pulled keys from his pocket, unlocking the bay doors._

"_How the hell do you have keys for the shop?" I got tired of him ignoring me, and I was starting to freak out. "Hey!" I stopped him from raising the gate. "What the hell is going on?"_

"_Just relax, come on," he replied, raising the gate and opening the door._

"_Man, I always wanted to come to this place when it was empty. Just to see all the cool shit in here," Megan's date, Derrick, stated. I rolled my eyes as we all walked through the door. Toby reached over, turning on all the lights. Sitting in the middle of the garage was a car frame, a black tarp covering it._

"_You're dad wanted me to surprise you tonight. He knew you wouldn't want to stay at prom dancing all night in those heels. So, he helped me put something together for you," I quirked a brow as Toby pulled the tarp off the frame, unveiling a gorgeous silver 1967 Pontiac Trans Am, the black and gold firebird gleaming on the hood. My eyes instantly watered as I circled the car, my fingers gliding against the spoiler._

"_Wha … what is this T?" I said, my voice barely audible as I grouched down near the Goodrich tires. _

"_That's yours Ry. That's your baby," Turbo said with a smile. _

"_Pop the hood," was all I could reply. Turbo reached in his pocket and pulled out keys, unlocking the beautiful car and popping the hood. Standing in front of the beauty, I gazed at the 428 V-8 engine in shock._

"_Over 400 cubic inches, new dual exhaust system, almost 400 horsepower. I'm not sure of the other stats, you'll have to talk to Jess about that," T said, dropping the keys into my hands._

"_Awesome. Simply awesome," was all my brain could function. Turning, I pulled Toby into a tight hug, mostly to hide the tears that threatened to fall. His scent relaxed my anxious heart, which made me surprisingly calm._

"_Hold up," Turbo pulled away, running into the office. After a few seconds of silence, my dad's Frank Sinatra album blared from the room. Toby sashayed his way out to me, dancing smoothly to the hit 'The Way You Look Tonight'. I threw my head back, laughing loudly as the former awkward-nerd appeared as suave as ever. He pulled me into his arms, where I couldn't help but dancing with him. I noticed out the corner of my eye that Megan and Derrick were already dancing as Derrick dipped Megan playfully._

"_You guys had this planned out all night, didn't you?" _

"_Your dad knew you would hate being there. So he had me bring you here."_

_**Damn you Dominic Toretto**, I thought. I hugged Toby again, continuing to let myself become hypnotized by his cologne. When I pulled back, I felt my lips inching closer to his. Letting go of all inhibitions, I crashed my lips onto his, enjoying the sweetness of his mouth. Toby wrapped his hands in my hair, pulling me in closer. Megan whooped in cheer at our kiss. I unwrapped my hand from his waist long enough to give her the finger._

_Tonight turned out to be amazing. One I'd never forget._


	44. Sex, Drugs, and Mount Havena

**Sorry for the huge wait. I've had so much crap going on in my life that it seemed I only had time here and there to work on this chapter. It was then that I also decided that this chapter would have to be split up into two parts. So, here's the first. Thanks for all the reviews and readers. Stay tuned for more stories.**

**Epilogue Pt. 2.1 – Sex, Drugs, and Mt. Havena**

"Not a bad run, kid. But you're shifting way too slow. You're gonna blow your engine," Rylan sighed as she listened to her father's words. "Just relax. I'll tell you when to shift, but you gotta be spot on," he finished.

Rylan looked around the deserted strip where her father first took her out joyriding. It was a wide open space, perfect for street-racing training. The nearest town wasn't for miles, so there wasn't a worry of cops or pedestrians. After being asked to be the last member of Team Toretto for Race Wars, Rylan knew she would need immediate training. She was ecstatic to be apart of the legendary event, but knew that she would have to pull her own weight during the races. And that meant learning to race, and quick. With the contest only two months away, she had to get in all the technique that she could.

"Turn it around and let's give it another go," Dom ordered, resetting his stopwatch.

"Can't we stop for the day? We've been out here for hours. It's hot," she whined, wiping the sweat from her brow. It was mid-May and it already felt like the middle of summer, with the temperate hitting the upper 90s.

"Rylan, you need all the training you can get. The quicker you get this down, the better you'll be. Now, turn it around and let's go again," Dom repeated, not having any sympathy for his daughter. This was the way he was taught by his father, and he would pass the tradition down.

Rylan gritted her teeth, burning rubber as she turned her Trans Am around. She reached over, turning her radio on full blast. Dom jumped at the loud rock music, turning it off quickly.

"You can't-"

"Listen, if you're gonna make me keep this up in this hot ass weather, at least get myself hyped up," she snapped, her temper never waiving. Sure, her and her father had become closer since they moved to L.A., but they still butted heads like strangers.

"Be my guest," Dominic threw his hands up in surrender.

Rylan turned her music up again, wiping her sweating hands off on her tank top. Gripping the steering wheel, she waited for Dom's count.

"Three."

Rylan gripped the gearshift.

"Two."

She tapped her foot lightly on the gas as she waited.

"One."

A millisecond after the word left his mouth, Rylan shifted into drive, taking off down the desert road. At each "SHIFT!", Rylan slammed down on the shaft, bringing her car to faster speeds. Rylan focused on the road, her dad's voice echoing in her head.

"Come on baby, finish big," Dom yelled as they were coming up on the end of the quarter-mile.

Rylan kept her cool as she looked down at the speedometer, watching the needle reach the 134 mph mark. As she crossed the end, Dominic called her time.

"Not bad rookie. 12.4 seconds. After a few more weeks training, you'll be almost as fast as I," Dom teased, giving Rylan a pat on the back.

"Psst, almost all fast as you," Rylan scoffed, stepping out the car. She was already rounding the passenger side before Dom got out.

"What are you doing?"

"You drive, I'm beat," she said exasperatedly, slumping down in the passenger seat. Without question, Dominic hopped in the driver seat and sped off.

Over at the Graciano home, Vince was pulling into the driveway, arriving with baby formula and tons of gifts. Mia had already threatened him with bodily harm if he bought the twins anymore toys. They already had a large play-area in their room full of toys, and she could bear to see anymore.

"How are my baby boys?" Vince cheered as he entered the nursery in his home. The three-month old twins were lying on a fluffy comforter on the floor, with Mia sitting in between them. The boys face's lit up at the sight of their daddy. Vince flopped down on the floor, laying on her belly as he tickled Adrian's tummy.

"My boys," he gushed, looking back and forth between the infants. After the birth of the boys, Vince had been stuck to them like glue. He spent less time at the garage, and more time in the nursery with them. He could never understand what Dom raved about when he talked about Koy's birth, but now he understood. There was nothing better than fatherhood itself and he was loving the experience.

"I told you no more toys Vince!" she groaned as he sat the bags on the floor.

"Oh come on Mi, they could never have enough toys. They're boys."

"Yeah, boys and their toys," she rolled her eyes. "Speaking of which, Race Wars is coming up," Mia mentioned, changing Gabriel's diaper. He cooed as she tickled his feet.

"Let's not talk about it," Vince said, less enthusiastic than expected.

"Well V we have to talk about it," Mia said sternly. "You are apart of the Team. You need to start preparing."

"Mia, drop it. We'll worry about it when it comes to."

"Vince, you have to be 100 percent just like everyone else. You gotta pull your weight just like the rest of them. You can't be slacking again," Mia reminded him, referring to last year's Race Wars when Vince lost 2 of the 4 races he was in. "I wanna use the money we make to build up their college funds."

"I know Momma," he agreed, kissing her cheek affectionately. "But do we really have to start that right now? I mean, they're only three months old."

"Well what do you think we should do with the money?" Mia questioned as if they already had the check in-hand.

"Let's take a long vacation. Just the four of us. We can go when the boys are a couple months older. Maybe to Italy or something," Vince loved the thought of a family vacation with his very own brood. By the brightness of Mia's smile, he could tell she was considering the suggestion. "Listen, I'll start working on the Maxima next week. I'm supposed to be working on the cars with Turbo and Jesse next week anyways."

Mia's attention turned to Adrian as he started to get fussy. Soon thereafter, Gabriel fussed, kicking his tiny feet into the air.

"Aww, looks like my little men are hungry," Mia cooed, picking up Adrian. "V, get the pillows."

Vince grabbed the Twins' pillows that helped Mia breastfeed both at the same time. They carried the babies into their room so Mia could sit comfortably on her bed. With her knees up, Vince placed the pillows on her knees and helped Mia hold the babies in her lap. Within seconds, the twins were latched on to her breasts, happily feeding.

"You are Superwoman, Mia," Vince complimented the mother of his bundles of joy.

"How so?"

"Look at you. You've learned to do everything, two times over. It's already incredible to watch a woman grow into her motherly instincts, but you're doing it twice. It's amazing," Vince meant the words he was speaking. He remembered how hard his mother worked to take care of him when his dad was in one of his drunken spells. He always admired women who could do that, and now he had one of his own.

"Oh V. You're such a cornball," Mia smiled, kissing Vince gently.

* * *

"Mom, we're leaving," Rylan yelled as she and Cece marched down the stairs.

She and Cece were on there way to the Races. The girls frequented the races every weekend. Much to her surprise, Rylan's parents didn't try to stop them. As long as they didn't participate, they didn't mind the girls being spectators. It was still dangerous, but not the same as the girls being behind the wheel.

"Be careful. Don't be too late," Letty replied from the living room with Dom. They were having a movie-night in.

"Don't make me have to come get you girls!" Dom yelled as they left.

Rylan and Cece hopped in the Trans Am and peeled off. It was quiet as they enjoyed the roar of the classic car, but Rylan knew it was too good to be true. She looked over at Cece, watching as her mouth opening and closed like a fish.

"Spit it out Ce," Rylan pushed.

"Have you and Turbo had sex?" the words were so unexpected it made Rylan's head spin. Her parents hadn't even questioned her physical relationship with Toby.

"Excuse me?" Rylan yelped. She knew Cece didn't filter her thoughts, so she wasn't too surprised by the inquiry.

"Oh come on Ry. You two are together 24/7. You've been dating for like three months. You can't say you haven't fooled around."

"Well Cece, this might come as a surprise to you, but no, we haven't fooled around. It's not like that. We're in no rush."

"So you mean to tell me this teenage boy hasn't tried to bone you?" Cece said bluntly.

"No! He hasn't tried anything. Now mind your business!" Rylan smirked, jabbing her friend in the arm.

The conversation ended as they pulled up to the races. Rylan parked in her usual spot, near the head of the setup area. Toby and Jesse were already parked and looking at surrounding cars. Leon was manning the scanners as well as watching out for Rylan and Cece.

"Hey baby," Toby greeted his girl with a sweet kiss on the lips. Jesse tried the same thing with Cece, but received a playful push away.

"Nice try, playboy," Cecelia laughed.

"Alright. Rookie challenge," Victor, the new ringleader of the races, announced. Many no-name racers stepped up for the challenge, hoping to get their start to the top of the leaderboards.

"T, get in there man," Jesse pushed.

"No way man. My CR-X isn't ready for that. I still gotta put new tires on, I don't have NOS, I need-" he began his nervous rant.

"C'mon Toby. You know you could kill those fools out there," Jesse continued. He had been just as nervous to jump onto the scene, but after a boost of confidence from Dom and the boys, Jesse had no problem going out there and taking people's money.

"What the hell," Toby shrugged, stepping up to the plate. Jesse gave Toby two grand to cover the buy-in. The crowd cheered at the boy.

"Finally," Victor smiled, patting Toby on the back.

The 2G buy-in race was set up and the crowd was off to the starting line. Rylan was excited to see her boy race for the first time. As much as she wanted to get out there herself, she wasn't going to push her luck with Dom and Letty. She was satisfied enough to know that they didn't mind her going at all.

While waiting for the start of the race, Rylan noticed Cecelia talking to a tall, Asian guy. Rylan recognized him from being apart of Neiko's old crew – Jack. Rylan wanted to shut down the connection instantly, but she knew how pissy Cece would be if she interfered in her game. Rylan watched as Jack tossed his arm around her friend's shoulder. She gritted her teeth in frustration.

The roaring of engines took her eyes off her naive friend. Rylan's eyes watched the four cars jump off the line. She felt that rush of adrenaline racing through her body, even though she wasn't in a car. Though she couldn't see well, she could see the fourth-place car, which wasn't Turbo's. She smiled and prayed for the best,

A few seconds later, all four cars soared back to the starting line. Turbo's CR-X pulled up first, and by his beaming smile, his victory was presumed.

"Give it up for T. His first win, and by two car-lengths," Victor praised. The crowd applauded as T collected his cash, giving Jesse back his two grand.

"Look at Mr. Misfit himself. Finally taking the cake," Rylan smiled, wrapping her arms around Turbo's neck. They shared a passionate kiss.

"Ay now, let her breathe," Cece's voice in interrupted. She pulled Toby into a hug as her new "friend" Jack stood nearby. Rylan eyed him suspiciously, receiving a satiric wink from him. Ry rolled her eyes and pulled Cece over to figure out their deal.

"What's wrong Ry?" Cece asked.

"What's your deal with Jack the Creeper?"

"He's cute right? He invited us to his party tonight," Cece looked over her shoulder, blowing Jack a kiss.

"Cece, I don't think you should be involved with that guy. He's a scumbag," Rylan advised.

"Relax, Ry. He's a cool guy. He just wants to chill."

"Cecelia, I'm for real. He's bad news. He used to run with-" before Rylan was able to warn her friend of the potential bad situation she was getting herself into, Jack approached them.

"Hey, we're about to head up to the party. You guys comin'?"

"No, we're not," Rylan interjected, "Cece, let's go." Rylan grabbed Cece's arm, pulling her along. She yanked away from her friend, stopping short.

"Rylan, I'm a big girl. I can choose what I want."

Rylan was shocked at Cece's behavior. She never trusted anyone. But her one downfall was that she was boy-crazy. Rylan always said that would be the cause of her demise.

"Cecelia, I'm not joking around with you. This asshole ran with Neiko. He was apart of that bullshit that I went through!" Rylan yelled, frustrated with the girl.

"I don't care what he did or what you think! I'm going, with or without you Ry," Cece snapped back, storming off with Jack.

Highly pissed and a little frightened, Rylan strolled back to Toby and Jesse, who hadn't seen the altercation.

"Where's Cece?" Jesse asked, looking over her shoulder for the redhead.

"She ran off with Jack and his crew. She's being a fucking airhead."

"Ah, don't worry Ry. She's got her cell, she'll be good. If you want, I'll head to the party and look after her," Jesse offered to the girl. Rylan nodded, running her hands through her hair.

"Hey, c'mon. We can go back to my house and hangout for a bit until Jesse gets her out of there," Toby coaxed, walking Rylan back to her car.

After a little hesitation, Rylan jumped in her car, following Toby out of the racing area. She tried Cece's phone several times, receiving no answer each time. Her heart pounded as she left three voice messages – all begging Cece to "answer the fuckin' phone". She called her mother once to let her know of there plans, being smart enough not to mention Cece's slip of judgment.

Before she knew it, they were pulling up to Toby's mansion. Nervous, she didn't move when Turbo approached her window. Her mind was with Cece, wondering how the hell she could be so stupid. She did what she wanted though, Rylan knew that for a fact. If Cece put her mind to it, she'd do what she wanted – regardless of what anyone thought.

"Come on, let's go watch a movie," Toby opened Ry's door, allowing her to slide out. He rubbed her shoulder's gently, trying to soothe her nerves. Rylan followed Turbo into the home, which brought up terrible thoughts for her. Knowing that many females had entered those doors, unknowing of the horror and embarrassment they were soon to endure boiled Rylan's blood. Toby lead her to his room that different immensely from Neiko's. The walls were a deep maroon color with a large white bed in the center. Family photos covered the walls, along with old drawings and car posters.

Toby noticed Rylan's apprehension and walked to her, rubbing her shoulders again.

"Hey now, no videos or cameras. Honest," he smiled, showing her his room. After a few moments, Rylan realized how ridiculous she was being and relaxed. She jumped onto his bed and browsed through his DVD collection under the end table. After settling on a thriller, the two cuddle up in the bed.

About an hour later, Cece's words from earlier began to echo through Rylan's mind. Why hadn't her boyfriend tried anything? Did he not find her attractive? Was he afraid? She needed to know, so she put him to the test.

Rylan rolled on top of Toby, straddling his hips. She kissed him deeply, the passion rising in her chest. She rubbed her hands down his abs, admiring his muscles. Toby ran his fingers through his girl's hair, tugging a moan out of her. Rylan reached down, pulling her tank top over her head. Toby looked at Rylan's bra-clad torso, admiring her toned and fit she was. Rylan's arms reached around, ready to unclasp her garment when Toby stopped her.

"What's wrong?" she questioned, dropping her arms to his chest.

"What're you doing Ry? This isn't you."

"Are we not in a relationship T?"

"Of course we are."

"Then what's the problem? You don't want me?"

"Ry," Toby trailed off, unable to look into her deep brown eyes. "You know I want you. I wouldn't be with you."

"Then what? Why would you try anything with me?" her shoulder's dropped, along with her self-confidence. "Is it somebody else?" she panicked, the thought crushing her mind.

"No Rylan!" he shouted, pushing her lightly off of him. Toby ran his hands over his head, his stress level skyrocketing. "I'm a virgin."

The admission took Rylan a bit by surprised. She knew that Toby hadn't been smooth with the ladies, but she didn't take him for a virgin, considering who his younger brother was. Rylan felt like shit, trying to push the inexperienced teen into a difficult situation just for her own reassurance.

"Sorry T. I-I didn't know..." Rylan replied, hanging her head in shame.

"Honestly, I don't know how you didn't," Turbo turned to her, pulling her onto his lap. "I'm not the greatest or most popular guy when it comes to girls. They didn't notice me, and if so, it was to work on a car. I've never met a girl like you Rylan Toretto. And I damn sure never thought you'd fall for me. So I apologize for not making sweet love to you right off the bat."

Rylan's smile met his, a feeling of stupidity washing over her. She let Cecelia's words get to her and made her act like an idiot. She wasn't ready for sex by an means. But when she is, Turbo will definitely be worth the wait.

Instead of speaking those words, Rylan gave Turbo a genuine smile and a kiss. After a few moments in the embrace, Rylan pulled away after her cell phone began buzzing.

"Did you get her?" she answered into the receiver.

"Rylan, meet us at the house now! Cece's hurt _really_ bad," Jesse's frantic voice said into the speaker.

Rylan's panic mode kicked in, making her jump outta bed and shove on her shoes. She didn't care that she was clad in Toby's boxers and a wife beater. She needed to get to her friend. She and Toby hurried back to her house, where the Jetta and Denise's BMW sat parked. The pair rushed into the house, where frenzy was taking place. She noticed a bloody and beaten Cecelia fighting for her life in the hallway. Letty and Denise stood over her, trying to get her to wake up. Jesse, who was sporting a few bumps and bruises of his own, was trying to frantically explain what happened to Dom and Brick. Rylan walked over to listen in.

"Everything was cool at first. Then I saw Jack walk Cece up the stairs. She looked drunk, but she only had two beers."

"They drugged her," Brick entered.

"After like ten minutes, I waited for them to come back, but only Jack came back. I confronted him, that's when his goons jumped me. They bailed and I ran up after her and found her like this."

"Did he rape her?" Rylan asked, her body frozen in shock.

"She was dressed when I found her. Looks like he just beat her up really bad. Dom, I'm sorry," Jesse cried to the older man. Dom nodded and consoled his friend.

"Stacy, go get my medical bag out of my car," Denise said hurriedly. Rylan continued to stand in shock as everyone around her panicked for her friend's life. While staring at the lifeless body, millions of thoughts raced through her mind; different ways she could murder Jack was the main one. Suddenly, Cece coughed, struggling to catch her breath. This movement woke Rylan up and had her at Cece's side.

"Doc, is she gonna die?" Rylan asked, not sure if she was prepared for the answer.

"Not if I can get whatever it is that's clogging the space around lungs out. Could be fluid, could be air," the doctor explained. "Get me a knife, a half-empty water bottle, and … do you have a small, hollow tube anywhere?" Denise asked. Rylan moved quickly to retrieve what she could.

"I have the tube from my waterbong?" Jesse offered sheepishly. "I hardly ever use the thing."'

"Unconventional, but it'll do. Get it and boil it in some water for sterilization just in case," Denise said.

Dom and Letty knew of Jesse's marijuana hobby and didn't mind it. As long as it didn't interfere with his work or home life, they didn't hassle him about it. Besides, it seemed to be the only thing to clam his nerves, other than engines.

Dom and Brick grabbed their jackets and headed to the door.

"Dom," Letty trailed off. She recognized that look in Dominic's eyes; the same look he had the night he nearly beat Linder to death. "Take Ry with you. Just don't kill anyone."

Dom waited for the girl to get dressed and to grab her keys. Jesse tagged along to help find Jack.

"Alright guys, you might wanna help me. Get the hose," Denise said, picking up the sharp knife. "I'm gonna make a small incision here, in between the fifth and sixth rib." Doc grabbed a glove from her bag and put one on. Denise stuck her pinky in the opening, widening the hole. "I'm gonna stick this tube in here, and as you can see, blood will exit the tube profusely. This may help her breathe better." While waiting for the blood to drain and release the pressure around Cece's lungs, the doctor checked for other injuries.

"Let, get the ice and a wet washcloth. Stacy, get another half-empty water bottle," the women did as they were told while Denise just stared at the poor girl. It had been a dumb choice not to take her directly to the ER, but she felt as if she could handle the situation carefully.

The girls returned and the doc put them to work. "Letty, wipe the blood off her face and count aloud her cuts. Stace, take this alcohol swab and clean every cut thoroughly. I'm gonna undress her and check for other wounds."

Fifteen minutes and eight lacerations later, the girls had Cece on the sofa sleeping in pj's. The doctor had the fluid surrounding her lungs under control and Cece was back to breathing normally. Denise stitched up four cuts on the girl's face, but was happy to not find any other alarming injuries.

"I swear if it's not one thing, it's another, Letty thought as she nursed a cold beer.

Denise took a swig of her drink, "You can say that again."

**-X-**

"This is the house," Jesse said from the back of the Jetta. Dom and Brick sat up front, looking for the group of teens. There were a few cars outside, but the party looked like it had died down. Rylan sat in her Firebird behind them, ready to murder the first thing that moved.

After a few moments, four boys stumbled out the house, clearly intoxicated. Dom angrily revved up the engine to the Jetta, getting the boys' attention. Three of them ran to a Honda, while Jack jumped in his own Mitsubishi Eclipse and sped off.

"Ry, get Jack. Buzz us when he's stopped," Dom ordered, surprising the others. "It's personal to her. We'll handle these idiots." Dom picked up his phone, dialing a number he rarely called.

"9-1-1 operator," the voice on the line answered.

"Yeah, I was driving with some friends and noticed a couple of kids drinking and driving. They're speeding pretty fast."

"Can you describe the car, sir?"

"An old '98 Honda Prelude. Red and black. One of them street cars," Dom smirked.

"Can you give me the address of the location, sir?"

"Dom recited the street names as he sped through a stop sign after the Honda. The boys were driving recklessly, nearly t-boning a minivan.

"There's a white car chasing after it. You guys better get down here quickly," Dom hung up and continued a couple miles until he heard the sirens. He swiftly drifted into a dark alley and sped towards the opposite direction.

Meanwhile, Rylan weaved in and out of traffic as she chased down the fast Eclipse. She made sure to stay a few feet behind him to avoid a collision. Her adrenaline pumped through her like a drug as the cars came up on a frightening one-lane mountain. Rylan's heart raced with every incline as the steep hill challenged her to keep up the chase. Any distractions could lead to a crash, or worse, even the talkie that buzzed on her dashboard.

"What?" she yelled.

"Where are you? The GPS isn't picking up the signal."

"I-I dunno. We're up some huge mountain with one lane. I don't know how high up it goes, but he's not slowing down. I don't know how long I can keep it up," she admitted. She hated to give up her vigilante effort, but she wasn't going to risk her car or her life.

"We know where you are, Mt. Havena. Have you come up on a huge boulder on the left side?"

"Passed it about thirty seconds ago."

"Okay. The mountain should break off into two lanes, then turn into a flat lot. Try to get ahead of him if you can, but for fucks sake Rylan be careful. We're on our way."

Rylan didn't reply, but tossed the talkie into the seat next to her. Sure enough, the one lane split into two, making it a lot easier for Rylan to maneuver the mountain. Rylan sped up and swerved into the opposing lane to try to gain the front. She looked over at Jack, who's sweaty face looked determined and stoic. He grinned over at her, yanking his wheel to the left. Rylan couldn't react fast enough to dodge the brutal blow to passenger side of her car. Pissed off, Rylan retaliated with her ride, causing the Eclipse to momentarily lose control. Jack swerved again, but this time Rylan was ready. She ripped the E-break, her tires instantly screeching against the asphalt. Jack's Eclipse crashed into the mountainside and as he tried to regain control on the road, he began fishtailing. Rylan slowed down significantly while she watched Jack fight against the power of the car. Before she knew it, the Mitsubishi swerved off the side of the cliff, smashing into every boulder on the way down. Rylan made it to the top of the mountain as a fireball rose to the sky. She got out the car and ran to the side of the cliff, watching the car burn and sizzle.

"How you doing girl?" Denise asked Cece during their regular check-up. Ever since the attack a month earlier, Denise wanted Cece to meet her at the hospital for regular X-rays and blood work to reassure the girl's good health. Her bruises and cuts healed just fine, but Denise wanted to make sure she was in the clear.

"I'm fine, Doc. Just like I tell you every week," Cece smiled, happy that the Doc was still looking after her. No doubt, she got a good chewing out from Letty, one she didn't see coming. Dominic, sure, but not Letty. Letty was always that motherly figure that Cece didn't have, and she always took her advice. But she had never expected Arletta to lay into her the way she had.

"I'm just making sure. If anything happens to you because I had a questionable judgment call, I dunno what I'd do with myself," Denise spoke the fears she had dealt with for years. Not only could she lose her license to practice, but she could face criminal charges from Cece's father, Keith.

"Don't worry Denise, I feel great. Breathing's all good," she said as the doctor checked with a stethoscope.

"Great. So I think this will be this final check-up for you, Ms. Swanson. You're free to go. Tell Let I should be getting off around eight tonight," she said to the girl's retreating back.

"Will do!" Cece shouted before she rounded the corner.

Outside the hospital, Rylan sat in the Firebird, listening loudly to some rock music. She fired up the engine as the girl approached.

"I swear, the Doc worries too much," Cece muttered as she slid in the car.

"It's her job Ce. Cut her some slack," Rylan responded as they pulled off.

Back at the house, Rylan and Cece were given the duty of watching Koy and Robbie while Letty and Dom ran errands with the boys. The youngsters were occupied in the game room, while the two girls found themselves stuck in front of the idiot box.

"_**In other news, LAPD still have no leads in the death of Jackson Tinney. Tinney's charred body was found at the bottom of Mount Havena, along with his burned car. Some witnesses say that Tinney had been drinking heavily and doing drugs the night of his death, which police believe have played a role in his accident. Mount Havena, as you know, has been named the cause of many deaths, as it is a notorious track in the illegal street-racing world. No suspects have been named in the incident."**_

Rylan and Cecelia looked at each, both unsure of what to say. After the attack, Dom told the family to keep hush about the incident until the heat died down. Jack's boys were arrested and charged with drunk driving along with numerous other charges, and wouldn't be near freedom or a car for a long time.

Rylan decided turning the channel would be best.


	45. Race Wars

**Epilogue Pt. 2.2 – Race Wars**

"**_Good morning and welcome to the 35__th__ Annual RaceWars Airstrip Event. This year, we will be celebrating with an all new segment: Team RaceWars! We know there are a lot of talented leaders out there in the race world, but what's a great leader, without an amazing team, eh? This is the opportunity to show off the talent within the crew. The races will be judged on a point scale: 5 points for first, 3 for second, and 2 for third. Bring your A-game folks, because I have a feeling this year will be on fire!_**

"I can't believe I'm at RaceWars," Letty muttered as she took in the familiar scene. She inhaled deeply, taking a deep whiff of the exhaust, sweaty bodies, and money. She always did enjoy the many aromas that surrounded the prestigious event. One of the few things she did hate was the sweltering heat, which caused her to walk back to her trailer located under a tent. The Team had arrived only an hour sooner, which hadn't given Letty time to take in all she had missed. The twins, Koy, and Robby were back in the city at Hector's, where Raquel happily offered to babysit the tots.

"What a pleasant surprise!" a voice called from behind Letty. Turning, she was happy to see a familiar face.

"Jorge! Look at you, old man," she chuckled as he pulled her into a hug. Jorge Jimenez was one of the organizers of the event and one of Team Toretto's biggest fans. He admired Letty for being one of the few females in the event to completely dominate – men and women.

"Good to see you back around here again. It just hasn't been the same without you. These gearheads run around here like chauvinists pigs because they haven't had a good woman like you around to kick some sense into them. You bring the old crew back?" he asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Always," Dom answered for her, wrapping his arms around Letty's waist.

"Good to see you Dominic. You know this is a team competition this year? You need eight drivers."

"We know. That's why those two are our number six and seven," Dom smiled, pointing to Rylan and Toby. Rylan stood watching the different cars entering the gates, checking out the competition. Toby stood next to Rex, the entrance worker, chatting about the cars.

"Finally got a brood of your own huh?"

"You know this family. It gains a new member every week," Dom joked with Jorge.

"Well good luck Dom. Get your first racer ready, the first quarter-mile race starts in ten minutes."

Dom gathered the family together in a huddle in front of their trailers. Dom looked around at everyone, proud of how far they had come. The seven racers, plus Mia, Cece, Lisa, Denise, and Stacy gave Dom their undivided attention as they always had, giving him the leadership role again.

"Quarter-mile race. Who wants it?"

"I'll take it. It'll give me a warm up run," Leon offered, doing a couple obnoxious stretches.

The gang laughed, Vince giving Le a good slap to the back of the head.

"Alright, get out there and get focused. That goes for everyone. We have to be focused on the goal. We are the most legendary and kick-ass street-racing team that's this side of the country has ever seen. We need to show 'em that just because we're getting a little older," he smiled and winked at Letty, "doesn't mean we are gonna stop. We got a few new youngins' that are gonna keep this legacy going forever."

"Hell yeah!" the boys cheered.

"Now, let's go out and win us some money!" Dom roared as the members cheered for joy. Leon ran to the Skyline to get it ready for the first race of the day. Dom and the ladies took a seat in the shade with cold waters while Leon lined the car up.

"Hey ladies!" a boy's voice called from the left of the group. All of them looked over to a group of young racers, whose rides did not impress at all.

"Get lost losers. No one's interested," Cece was the first to call out, which was beyond her normal behavior. The boys, caught off guard by the immediate diss, stormed off back to their camps.

"That's my girl, Redhead," Dom smiled, pulling Cece down on his lap. She rubbed his bald head in reply.

"Trust me, I've learned my lesson; not to be so shallow with ditzy guys and nice cars. They usually turn out to be douchebags," she shrugged, absently rubbing over the few scars she barred thanks to the inhumane beating she suffered months ago.

The sounding of the horn for the race received everyone's attention. It was a four-way race with Leon in a quick second behind an old Ford Mustang. As quick as the race started, it was over with Leon taking a full car-length lead for the win. The gang all cheered as Le circled around and returned to the trailers. He was sweating and breathing hard, but smiled as he collected his woman in a hug. The gang congratulated him as Dom documented the win on a score sheet.

"The circuit race will be in fifteen minutes. Two fresh racers from each team will need to prepare and sign-in at the front tent," the announcer exclaimed over the bullhorn.

"Who's racing?" Dom asked the group.

"I want it," Letty said, standing up. Dom smiled, happy to see her eager to participate.

Rylan watched her mother almost glow as she stood next to Dom. She had a chance to do what her mother loved doing all her adolescent life, and do it alongside the older woman. Rylan didn't hesitate to step up. Letty smiled and tossed her arm over her daughter's shoulder.

"All right, everyone take a break. Get some grub. Mia, bring me back a plate," Dom grinned cheekily as he lead Letty and Rylan to their cars. Jesse popped the hood of the Silva, making sure the new upgrades to the engine and transmission would hold up.

Dom wrapped his arms around Letty's waist, kissing her earlobe.

"None of that. No distractions before a race, remember?" she reminded him of his own pre-race ritual. Dom laughed and backed away.

"Just trying to give you motivation," he smiled. Letty looked over at Rylan, who had her own nerd Toby stuck under the Firebird.

"That," she pointed at the girl as Rylan slammed the hood of the Trans Am, "is all the motivation I need, Playboy. Now, beat it," she pushed him away and went to Rylan. Ry stood at the front of her car, drying her sweaty hands on her cargo pants.

"Look honey," Letty talked as they walked to the announcer's tent, "I know you're nervous, but I promise it's not all that bad. As long as you try to remember everything Dom drilled into your brain, this will be natural to you. You are a Toretto after all," Letty advised.

"I just don't want to disappoint."

"Just follow my lead, mija," Letty said as they reached the tent.

Ten minutes later, eight cars were lined up near the circuit course, made up of desert ground and yellow water barrels. Letty's car was positioned near the front of the pack while the Trans Am was at the back. Letty buzzed Ry one last time to tell her to stay focused, but didn't get a response. Ry was already in her zone. She wasn't worried abo ut the cars surrounding her or even her mother for that matter; it was just her, the Trans Am, and that curvy course. She was ready to feel that rush that only driving could give her.

With her eyes zoomed in on the black flag hanging from a woman's hand at the start-line, she tapped her gas gently as she waited for the drop. Three seconds later, she flag fell, unleashing the eight beasts into the desert. Rylan jumped off the line like a bat outta hell, flying ahead of three other cars. She kept her cool as she moved in rhythm with the others. She could see Letty's car at the lead of the group and smiled, happy to see her mom still her spunk.

Over at the tent, Dominic looked through binoculars at the competition. He thoroughly loved watching Letty do her thing. She was a natural with racing, he knew, and there was no way anything or anyone could change that. He guided his binoculars to the middle of the race where his little girl was fighting her way to the front.

"Haha, look at that. Baby Toretto has some speed," Vince laughed, patting Dominic's back. Dom smirked proudly as he watched Rylan swerve ahead of car number four.

"That kid is full of surprises," Dominic mumbled.

"_**I can't believe this! Rylan Toretto, the female racer coming out of the Toretto camp, is taking these old boys to school! Not only is the ten a few months shy of eighteen, this is her first official race! I'll tell you what, she is definitely on her way to being something great."**_

The team cheered as the announcer gave praise to their newbie. Letty had to smile, feeling proud of birthing a future champion. Letty buzzed the girl and told her to hurry ahead while she kept another contender occupied.

Rylan did as she was told and maneuvered around a sharp curve. There was one more obstruction keeping her from reaching the Silva: a yellow 2005 Pontiac GTO LS2. Rylan admired the beauty of the body, but wasn't about to get distracted by it. She hit the gas, propelling her to the bumper. As she attempted to go around the car, it edge into the center, riding in both lanes. Frustrated, Rylan continued to try to outwit the racer for the third place spot. In one last attempt at passing the car, Rylan rode the bumped for a few seconds. Kissing the back of the car a few times was all it took to scare the driver back into one lane. She knew LA racers enough to know they treated their cars better than they treated their women, and the GTO owner wouldn't allow his "baby" to receive such abuse. Rylan grabbed the opportunity and whizzed around the car, making sure to blow the angry driver a kiss on the way.

"That's gonna piss somebody off," Rylan muttered to herself.

"That's gonna piss him off," Dom said as he watched Rylan spank the back of another car.

"She's got a set of cojones on her, eh?" Mia quipped to Dom.

"Brick, watch that guy after this race. In case he wants to discuss her 'tactics'."

Rylan finally caught up with Letty's car and inched ahead of her mother. Letty smiled wide at seeing her baby-girl in a stance she used to be in; the hottest female commodity on the scene. She cheered her daughter on as she flew through the second lap marker. Out her peripherals, Letty could see a yellow blur speeding up to them. She didn't know this guy's problem, but she wanted to fix it … quick. She slowed down and stayed ahead of the yellow car and Rylan while the younger girl could gain a better lead. Once the GTO began ramming the rear bumper of the Silva, Letty started to get pissed.

"What the hell!" she shouted behind her.

The GTO didn't stop, continuously hitting the back of Letty's car until she moved out of his way. She made sure Rylan had a serious lead before pulling out all the stops, completely slamming on the brakes. She braced for impact as the Pontiac smashed into the back of her Silva, the contact forcing her car into the line of yellow barrels.

The crowd, including the Team, silenced as they watched the collision. Dom ordered Jesse to get the trailer ready to check out the Silva's damage. Dom knew Letty would only put her life and car in jeopardy for her children, so he figured he'd spare her the chewing out for her reckless driving.

Dom and the gang watched as both cars were pushed to the outside of the track by crew member so they wouldn't become obstacles on the course.

"Lady, you got a lot of balls!" the GTO owner growled as he approached Letty, as she tucked on her sunglasses and enjoyed the rest of the race.

Dominic saw the guy motioning towards his woman and stood, ready to pounce.

"Dom," Stacy stopped him, "she dealt with my dad for dozens of fights. This guy will be a piece of cake."

"Just protecting my cub," Letty said to him, not taking her eyes off Rylan.

"Hey!" he grabbed her shoulder, turning her to face him. "Whatever. You and your _cub_ are gonna pay for my car!" he spat angrily.

Letty took her glasses off and glared daggers at the short, chubby cholo of a man. Before he could blink, Letty delivered a mind-blowing headbutt to the man, dropping him to the ground.

With the guy nursing a bloody and possible broken nose, Letty turned back to the race just as Rylan crossed the finish line at the head of the cars, bringing in the Team's second victory and her very own first!

_**There you have it, ladies and gentlemen: Team Toretto is the winner of the circuit race, by way of Rylan Toretto's 1967 Firebird Trans Am. She is one to watch, folks.**_

After collecting her winnings from the tent, Rylan drove back to the trailer, where hugs and high-fives were waiting for her. Toby lifted him into the air, congratulating her with a kiss. Letty and Dominic looked at each other, flashbacks of their younger days on the streets coming to life.

Dominic leaned down to Letty and whispered, "I think we can retire now."

Letty tossed her arms around Dom's neck and smiled brightly, "I thought you'd never ask."

Rylan ran over to her parents, her expression showing nothing but glee. She jumped into the air, Dom easily catching her as her legs wrapped around his torso. They squeezed each other tightly as Dom planted a sloppy kiss on his daughter's forehead.

"I did it Daddy," Rylan's words were almost childlike. Dom smiled brightly as moisture filled his eyes. She had never called him 'daddy' before, and he wished he had been there for more moments like these. When she had learned to ride a bike, when she took apart her first engine … Dom had missed those moments.

But not this one. Not her first race, and first win. He had been there. He had taught her to race, and taught her to win. He couldn't be more proud of her.

"You sure did baby," he replied, holding her as if he was holding a four year-old girl. After a couple seconds longer of the embrace, Rylan slid down, her feet now touching the ground.

"Thanks. For giving me this opportunity."

"Always," Dominic replied.

"This calls for some drinks!" Mia screeched, holding up a couple beers. Dom gave Mia a look, surprised at the offer considering she knew he rule for drinking before races. "It's only one Dom! Chill," she smile, handing him an ice cold one.

When Cece reached for a beer, Dom snatched it before she could get a finger on it. Quickly after that, Letty snatched it from him, giving it back to her.

"Let the kids have a beer. It's a celebratory drink," she reasoned, popping the top off her own brew.

Cece stuck out tongue out at Dom and took a large gulp of her beer.

Dom growled playfully, snagging his own beer and walking away. He found Jesse at the trailer, where he and Toby assessed the damage to Letty's car. The front bumper was smashed in, the hood was bent upwards, and the alignment on the front left tire was completely off. The back bumper was fine, but would need some body work to clean up the scratches.

"How long do you think it'll take to get her back in motion?"

"Ahh, couple days. Toby and I will get to when we're back home," Jesse replied. Taking a drag off his cigarette.

A few hours and three races later, the Team was kicked back, enjoying some barbecue that was free at the event. The last race of the event would be held tomorrow morning, so they had the rest of the evening to party and relax. After Rylan's big win, Toby killed the Team's momentum with a loss by half a car-length. He took it hard, but the Team told him not to dwell, that it was just one loss and the Team could easily recover. Vince and Jesse were up next in the tag-team drift race, which the boys won by default. Three of the racers broke half way through the competition, and another spun out, causing a head-on collision with another racer, leaving only one other driver. Vince, who wasn't as skilled in drifting, came in third, behind the other racer and Jesse in first. Brick took responsibility for the fifth race, another quarter-mile drag. It wasn't even a competition, as Brick easily blew the other racers out the water. His upgraded engine in his 76 Firebird was not only a beauty, but it was a thing of magic.

"Guys, today has been fucking incredible," Letty said to the group from him spot on Dom's lap. "I never realized how much I missed this shit until I was back with the Team. You guys have no idea how close I was to not even being on this Earth," Letty tried not to get choked up, but knew it was inevitable. "You guys have saved me, once again. I mean, I've got my sister back, and two new ones," she smiled at Mia, Lisa, and Denise. "I've got my big brothers back," she looked at Vince and Leon, who raised their beers at her. "My little brother and my new big, BIG brother," she jabbed Brick in the chest playfully. "And my man. My rock," Letty planted a kiss on Dom's lips, which elicited groans and gripes from the group.

"Cut it out," Mia sniped, rolling her eyes at the two.

"I just wanted to say thanks, guys. For everything."

"You ain't gotta thank us girl," Leon piped up. "You're family. Always will be."

The group chatted for a while longer, and before they knew it, the sun had set in the desert. Large overhead lights now lit up the desert grounds, along with headlights from cars, and neon lights from partygoers. Vince, Leon, and Brick had started a card game that involved many other men from other race camps. Stacy and Cece act as servants for the guys, fetching beers and more food. They didn't mind, as they were rewarded with tips. Lisa, Mia and Denise sat back with beers of their own, talking about the twins and the vacation Vince promised in the upcoming weeks. Dom and Letty were locked in their own trailer … "_catching up_" a little more. That left Rylan and Turbo to find something to occupy themselves.

They settled on watching a flick in one of the other trailers. Toby fixed up the pull-out mattress from the couch as Rylan prepared the horror movie. The two cuddled up together, with Rylan resting her head on Toby's chest.

Though she would never let anyone know it, Rylan _hated_ horror movies. Frightened, she hid her face in Toby's chest and clinched the cotton fabric of his t-shirt.

"What is this … is big bad Rylan Toretto – scared?" Toby asked sarcastically, receiving a brutal punch to the gut for his humor.

"Shut up, ass."

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone … _that you're a chicken shit_," he whispered the last part, receiving another punch to the stomach. This time, he tackled her down, tickling her all over. The trailer filled with Rylan's laughter, her one weakness.

Before she knew it, Toby was straddling her, with both of her arms trapped above her head. His eyes traveled to her lips, watching as he tongue snaked out to moisten them. He crashed his lips onto hers, taking in bubble-gum taste of her lip gloss. Rylan snaked her arms around Toby's neck, pulling him closer to her. The intensity of the moment caught up to them, as Rylan raced to undress Toby. Pulling off his shirt, she enjoyed the bronze shade of his skin. The look in his eyes screamed lust and passion, and Rylan needed no other incentive to yank off her tank top. Before he could stop her, she reached around and unsnapped her bra, jerking it away from her arms. Toby's eyes scanned Rylan's chest, taking in every inch of her curvy body. Rylan could feel the heat rising from her throat at the way Turbo gawked at her body. He dismissed her fears by delivering soft kisses all over her bare skin. Once he reached her breasts, Rylan knew there was no way she was going to stop him. As dangerous as it was to be in the trailer alone with Toby, with her "uncles" just outside the door, Rylan would cherish the moment, but she knew it had to be special.

She put her hands on Turbo's chest, stopping him. "Are you sure you wanna do this? 'Cause we can wait."

Turbo chuckled, "I thought I was supposed to be the one to ask you that?" Rylan gave him a look, which pushed him to answer her. "Yes, I want this." Turbo reached in his back pocket, pulling out his wallet. From that, he retrieved a condom.

"Wow, I guess you weren't kidding," Rylan smirked.

An hour later, the two lay tangled in each others limbs, Rylan riding her euphoric high. She thought racing gave her a crazy adrenaline rush, but what she and Toby had just encountered was something bigger. She wasn't sure if everyone's first time had been as exciting as this, but she knew it was something she would have to indulge in further.

"Wow," was all she could muster due to lack of breath.

"Yeah," was his breathy reply.

"So _that's_ what we've been missing."

"We're gonna have to do that more often."

"Agreed."

Suddenly, there was banging on the trailer door. The teens jumped up, moving as fast as they could to retrieve their clothing. The banging didn't stop as Toby quickly shoved the mattress back into the couch. Just as she was pulling on her tank top, Toby unlocked and opened the trailer door, trying to look as normal as possible.

"Whoa, whoa! Chill. I just wanted to … " Jesse said, catching the death glare Toby gave him. Jesse smelled the familiar musky scent and noticed the disheveled look on their faces, and instantly knew what had just happened. "play the Playstation. I'm too anxious for Dom's race tomorrow. You two done?"

Rylan walked to the door, the look on her face screaming for Jesse not to spill the beans. "Yeah, we were just watching a movie. But it got boring so. Guess I'm gonna find Stace and head to bed."

Jesse couldn't fight the giddy look on his face, "Sounds good."

Rylan tossed Toby one final bright-eyed smile before leaving the boys alone. Toby flopped down sheepishly on the sofa, Jesse taking a seat next to him.

"Dude, did you just bone Baby Toretto?" Jesse exclaimed, needing the confirmation.

"Shut up Jess! Look, you can't let anyone find out. Dominic will murder me."

"Well, you better spray some air freshener if that's the case, 'cause you two are gonna be busted otherwise."

* * *

The next morning, Rylan was woken by loud banging outside the trailer door. Stirring awake, she crawled over Stacy's lifeless body to peek out of the window, wincing at the bright desert sun. People were milling around the area, which made Rylan wonder the time of day. Turning back to the bed, she shook Stacy's body to wake her.

"How can you sleep through that shit?" Rylan murmured through a groggy voice.

"Fine, if you'd back the hell off," Stacy replied in annoyance, rolling over on her side.

Rylan rolled her eyes and went to the front of the trailer, where Cece sat on the sofa in front of the tiny television, nursing a cup of coffee and a hangover.

"Ce, you drunk?" Rylan asked, flopping down on the open seat next to her.

"Plastered," she replied. "I was sitting in the Jetta playing with Jesse's sounds while he and Toby were gaming. You know how much of a snoop I am, and I got bored, so I rummaged through his shit. Found his stash of tequila under a floorboard, and decided to take a shot. Well, one turned into about twenty, and everything after that is a bit blurry," she took a long gulp of her steaming coffee.

"Idiot," Rylan ran her hands down her face, trying to wake herself up.

The two sat in a comfortable silence, until Cece opened a can of worms.

"So you and Toby took the big step last night, huh?"

Rylan looked at her, amazed at how Cecelia had heard of the news already.

"Who told you?" Rylan glared at Cece, but only received a shrug for a reply. Looking around the room, she searched for a weapon to beat the answer out of Cecelia. Remember the reason she was even awake, Rylan walked to the metal wall of the trailer, knocking loudly on it. Cece's head rang like a bell as she clasped her ears tightly.

"NOBODY TOLD ME! I HEARD YOU!" Cece yelled over the noise, which was an even worse idea. She fell over onto the sofa to shield herself from the hell.

"Who told you?" Rylan barked again.

"Nobody Ry," Cece answered, looking sincerely at her friend. "I was gonna crawl in the bed with you last night, but there was no room. You were mumbling about how much you loved Toby and how you were 'so happy you made love to me Turbo'," Cecelia teased.

Rylan could feel her cheeks burning and covered her face.

"_Oh Turbo, kiss me there again_," another voice mocked from behind both girls. Rylan turned to find Stacy leaning on the entrance to the room, a smirk on her face. "I had no idea that you talked in your sleep."

"Neither did I," Rylan blushed, flopping down on the sofa.

"You really had sex with T last night Ry?" Stacy asked, coming over to her younger sibling.

Rylan didn't speak, but only nodded.

"Well how was it?" Cece asked, sitting her coffee mug on the table.

Rylan sighed heavily, unable to express her emotions.

"Terrifying … painful … _breathtaking_," she could only sum it up in a few words. Sure, it had been a agonizing and scary, but it was still the most exhilarating experience that she had ever endure. She wasn't sure yet if it competed with racing, but she knew it was close.

Before the conversation could continue, the door to the trailer flew open, revealing a refreshed and rejuvenated Turbo. He looked at the girls, and from all their looks, he could tell that they all now shared the secret. He blushed slightly, rubbing his hands through his long, curly locks.

"Mornin' ladies," he greeted with a bright smile. Rylan's heart fluttered at his smile, now knowing that the decision she made the night before was no mistake.

"Hey there, Stud," Stacy quipped, giving him a wink.

"_Oh Turbo!_" Cece mocked the couple, causing her and Stacy a fit of giggles. Rylan met Turbo at the door, giving him a quick peck on the lips. In a moment of evil, she banged on the metal wall again, sending Cecelia into a fritz.

When Turbo quirked his brow at Ry, she opened responded with: "hungover".

An hour later, the gang was gathered under the tent again, pumped up for the last race of the challenge. The Team had the point advantage, with 23 points in their pockets. The second place crew had twenty points, and needed this win, and to hold Dominic to third place, in order to take home the gold. The Toretto crew were reluctant to go, enjoying the care-free and exciting environment, but Dom knew the shop had to be opened back up tomorrow, and he was getting sick of the blistering wild heat.

"I want you all to know, that no matter the outcome of this, we still kicked some major ass out in this desert this weekend. Letty and I have an announcement to make though..." the crew sat up, curious as to what Dom was about to tell them. He knew there was no right place or way to tell them, but it was something that needed to happen. "We're thinking about retiring … from racing."

"What? What the hell does that mean Dominic?" Jesse spat. Dominic knew he would take it the hardest.

"It means that she and I are gonna stop racing Jess. We're getting too old for this shit, bro."

The crew caused an uproar, everyone voicing their opinions on the situation. Some were understand, others … not so much.

"Dom this is bullshit! You can never been too old to do this shit man, you know that. C'mon D, we've been doing this since we were kids," Jesse tripped, jumping out of his chair with anger.

"C'mon Jess, we have a family now. We're adults. We need to take responsibility," Letty interjected, trying to reason with the younger man.

"Letty, you've always fucking said you'd be there. On that blacktop when I needed you, you'd be there. What, you don't think I need you now?" Jesse yelled at Letty, taking her aback. Jesse had never taking his aggression out on Letty, and it hurt her. She had promised Jess to always have his back on the scene, that she would never turn away as long as he needed her. But she had priorities now, and those had to come first.

"Jesse!" Vince, who had been silent through the whole ordeal, took the man's attention. "Jesse it's time, brother. You know, Mia and I have been discussing this for a while. I mean with the twins, we can't risk jail or an accident, or worse."

"This is a fucking joke. This has got to be a fucking joke," Jesse barked, storming off.

Rylan stood frozen, unsure of how to take in the news. Sure, she understood where both men were coming from. They had families, responsibilities. More important things to focus on than street-racing with teens. But this was apart of the family's history, this was how the entire family came to be. She never really thought about a moment like this.

"So where does this leave the Team? I mean, is it just over?" she asked, looking up at her parents with pure shock. "I mean, I just got started."

Dom went to her, kneeling in front of her chair. "The Team will never be over. We're a family. All of us. But we feel it's time to pass on the torch. Let you guys create your own Team, you're own legacy."

"Will you still come to the races? You know, to watch me?" Rylan asked, unsure of emotions. Dom gave her a toothy grin, one she couldn't help return with a smile.

"All the time baby."

"Yo vato!" a deep Southern twang called from behind Dom. He stood up slowly, trying to remember where he had heard the voice last. "Betchu' _never_ thought you'd see me again, huh?"

Dom turned around, taking in the tall Southern boy that he met in Tokyo.

"Sean Boswell," Dom smiled to the man, taking in his looks. Sean had a larger build to him, and his arms were covered in tattoos. He had a neatly-trimmed stubble growing on his face, but his Southern roots could only been known through his accent. Dom wasn't surprised to see him still running with the same crew. He recognized Neela, the Australian beauty whom was Sean's girl those many years ago. She looked the same, although more beautiful (if possible) and a bit thicker. Twinkie, who seemed to have a growth spurt, now had short hair, but still his average build. Reiko and Earl stood nearby, giving Dom a respectful nod. They were the tech-nerds of Tokyo, and were solid help during Dom's stay in Japan. "What the hell are you doing in the States?"

"We came for the 'Wars, man. We knew you'd be here. Had to come get my rematch."

"Rematch? Dom, who is this?" Letty asked, quipping a peculiar brow at the bunch.

"This is Sean Boswell, my Tokyo family. Han used to run with these chumps," Dom joked. "We had a drift race my first night in Tokyo. I won, but Sean didn't like the way I raced."

"You mean the way you cheated?" Sean returned the eyebrow to Dom. "You and that big ass boat you were driving didn't make much for a race. I had to stay behind you, just to stay alive."

"Psht, yeah right," Dom rolled his eyes. "Sean, this is my family. How long you gonna be here in California?"

"I dunno man, the heat over in Tokyo is pretty hot right now. The Yak is being moody, figured we'd come down and try our luck over these ways."

"Well you better enjoy this ass-whooping, 'cause it's the last one I'm giving out. You're gonna have to start taking them from my kid," Dom said, arrogantly tossing his arm around Rylan's shoulder. With the scowl she provided, she couldn't have been mistaken for Dom or Letty's kid.

"I'd be glad too," Sean said, bowing a bit for Rylan.

"Still a good ol' southern kid," Dom chuckled.

_**Racers, it is time to line 'em up! The final Leader vs. Leader race will begin in five minutes!**_

The four cars lined up, with Dom's red Chevelle in the middle and Sean's orange '03 Toyota Twin Turbo Supra next to it. Dom looked over at Sean's car, admiring the beauty of the body.

"You still haven't learned huh? Muscle beats import, every time."

"Well I'm a rebel, you know that," Sean replied, revealing the engine of his ride.

They both looked at flag, one ear on the starter-girl.

_Three._

"You confident that Match Box car is gonna hold for this?" Dom smirked. They were on his turf now.

_Two._

"Just make sure your boat don't sink," Sean replied, his twang causing Dom to laugh the way it always had before.

One.

Dom's front-axle hoisted into the air as the cars flew off the line.

He was going to miss the taste of that NOS-fueled adrenaline.


End file.
